Falling in Love: Seth Finds his Imprint
by bnutter
Summary: Any and all Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. Some adult content in later chapters. Please watch for things that might be a trigger.
1. Chapter 1

Falling in Love: Seth Finding his Imprint

By Brittlyn Nutter

Since I was only 14, almost 15, and starting in my first year of high school, I was really nervous about making new friends. I did have friends, but none of them really listened to what I had to say. I lived on the reservation my whole life and knew pretty much everyone.

I have always been described as a quiet, well-reserved person with a big heart and had fragile emotions. To an extent, this was very true. I was always a quiet person and did have a big heart. But emotionally, I wasn't as fragile as people thought I was. People never really got to know me any better to really tell the difference.

There were very few people who actually knew me that well. Though the people that did know me that well never really talked to me. I always hung out with the same five or six people every day at school. I didn't talk very much even with the people that I did hang out with every day for the last 15 years. I never talked because I felt like my opinion never really mattered. Or I would even feel like no one wanted to hear me talk.

I sat there every day just listening to the stories that the others had to tell. I would always be like the fly on the wall around people. Even in class I never said anything unless I really had to. It wasn't because I didn't want to give an answer, but was always afraid of looking stupid in front of people. It didn't help when people didn't understand who I really was and constantly feeling like I was being judged for being myself.

On that first day of high school a lot had changed for me. I still had the same friends and had both of my parents, but they fought a lot which drove me nuts and caused me to leave the house a lot. Over the summer though, I had really started to develop as a young woman. I had become curvier in some places and skinnier in others. I wore a new shirt that had slits in the sleeves and had a really cute design on the front. I wore some short shorts to school with that shirt.

As I walked in, I noticed some of the guys watching me. It was some of the guys who normally hung out with Sam, Paul and Jared. I knew the youngest one who happened to hang out with them. His name was Seth Clearwater. He had an older sister whose name was Leah. She seemed to hate everyone so much. But I seemed to be right at the top of her list with Sam and his fiancé Emily.

I don't know why Leah hated me so much, but she really did. That's when Seth came up to me as I walked down the hall to go to class. He had his usual warm smile that went so well with his personality. I smiled back at him, waiting for him to speak first. Seth and I had a few classes together and had hung out a few times, so he knew the kind of person I was. I couldn't ever look him in the face though. I had to admit I had a crush on the boy I grew up with.

"Hey Brittlyn! I hope you had a great summer! I wish we could've hung out some more. I really missed seeing you." Seth said cheerfully.

"I know! I had an ok summer. It honestly could have been so much better. I missed seeing you to Seth. Why don't we hang out soon?" I asked the buff boy standing next to me.

"How about tonight at my place then?" Seth asked.

I turned to look Seth in the face. I was shocked to hear him ask. I looked him in the face to see if he was being serious. He was, but as I looked at him, something about him suddenly changed. I shook my head a little bit. I must've just imagined that something was different. I smiled a little bit before speaking.

"That actually sounds nice Seth. I'd love to come over to your place." I said before the bell rang for class.

I waved to the boy who was standing there in the hall. I went to classes that day, finding people to sit with in each class. I was kind of excited and kind of nervous about going to spend time with Seth. He was in a good mood all the time. That eventually put me into a good. He was like a ball of sunshine. Always so bright and sunny.

When the day finally ended, I went home to change. After I changed and freshened myself up a little bit, there was a knock at my bedroom door. I was just about to text Seth, to see when he wanted me to come over. I answered my door first to see who was standing there. When I finally saw the boy form earlier that day standing outside my door, I felt a little shocked. He showed me his smile and I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"I'm here to walk you to my house. I hope you don't mind." Seth said.

"It's fine. I was actually just getting ready to text you and see when you wanted me to come over." I said back.

Seth grabbed me by the arm and we ran excitedly down stairs. I told mom and dad that I was going over to the Clearwater's house for a little while. They said that was fine. I was walking with Seth to his house when a few of the other guys he hung out with showed up.

"Hey Seth. I need to talk with you for a minute." Sam had told him.

"Ok. Can we talk when we get the house?" Seth asked.

"Sure. The guys can talk with Brittlyn and get to know her a little better." Sam said.

Seth nodded to Sam, like there was something I was missing in the conversation. When we got inside, I went to look around a little bit as some of the other guys sat down around the living room. I mostly looked at the baby pictures of Seth. I found one of him when he was only a few months old. He was wearing that same big smile then that he always seems to have with him now. I smiled at the picture of Seth before hearing some chuckles from the others that were watching me.

I quickly sat the picture down, feeling my face get red and start burning as I was easily embarrassed. That's when Seth walked in and pulled me to the couch with him. I sat down as everyone stared at us. My face was getting redder and hotter by the minute. Seth let out a surprisingly low growl at the guys. When he did that, I found it surprisingly attractive. It was very deep and very protective. My mind started clouding over with what being with Seth would be like. I quickly pushed the thoughts out of my mind as the guys laughed.

Seth turned the TV on to some game that was happening. One of the guys moved up to the couch beside me. It caused me to move closer to Seth, who was feeling a little sheepish at the moment. I know how he felt, but I for some reason had a feeling the guys were doing this on purpose though.

Over the next couple of weeks, Seth and I had spent more time together. We had switched between going to his parents' house to my house to being at Sam and Emily's place. I had found myself growing more and more attached to Seth. I was starting to feel more and more in love with him every day. I couldn't stand to be away from him for too long because it made my chest start to hurt.

One day when we were at Sam and Emily's, I was feeling especially tired. I had sat down next to Seth, who was my best friend and the person I was closest to. I curled up against him as I laid my head on his shoulder. I had grown used to his unusually high body temperature. His warmth felt so nice to me that I feel asleep. As I slept, I had an amazing dream of me and Seth starting to date.

We were going on our first date at the beach. Seth had brought a picnic, asking me to only bring myself and a blanket. We sat there on the beach enjoying being with each other. We laughed and smiled at each other. Seth wrapped his arms around me, keeping me warm in the evening breeze. We watched the sunset as we sat there. I ran my hand up and down Seth's chest as I felt very comforted just being in his grip.

"Brittlyn? I need to tell you something." Seth said, pulling me away from him.

"What is it Seth? What's wrong?" I asked looking concerned.

"I love you!" Seth just burst out.

I smiled at Seth. "I love you Seth!"

That's where the dream ends, before I wake up to see stunned faces staring at me. I look around very confused. When I look to Seth, I see the surprise in his face. I realized then that I must have been talking in my sleep. I could feel the tears threatening to spill over as my face started growing red and hot. I jumped up, grabbing my stuff and ran out the door.

I started walking home before I felt a hand grab around my arm. The grip was a little tight, but it was one that I knew all too well. I stopped right where I was before looking down to the ground. I couldn't look at Seth right now after what I just said. I felt him turn me towards him and gently put his arms around me. He hugged me to his warmth. I was confused as to why he had been so warm lately.

I put my arms around him and buried my face into his firm, yet soft chest. I cried because of how embarrassed I felt. I stayed in Seth's embrace for a few minutes just trying to calm myself down. It felt nice to have him hug me. It's something that I'd wanted for a few years now. Once I was finally calm, I pulled away and continued to look down.

"I'm sorry Seth. I didn't mean to let all this slip out now. I didn't think something like this would ever happen." I explained to the boy in front of me.

"It's ok Britt. I completely understand how you feel. Actually, I've been wanting to talk to you about something." Seth said, seeming a bit nervous.

I looked at Seth a little confused. I waited a minute before saying anything. "What is it Seth?"

"Well it's kind of hard for me to say to someone like you. I felt this pull toward you for a few weeks now, and I know you've felt it for me too. I really wanted to tell you sooner, but the guys, mostly Sam, convinced me to wait for a little bit before saying anything to you." Seth rambled on.

"What are you trying to tell me Seth?" I asked, still confused.

"I think… I know I'm in love. With you." Seth said, looking down in embarrassment. His cheeks had a little bit of pink in them. I guess this is his first time ever telling a girl this.

"Seth… This is the best thing I've ever heard from someone. I felt this love for you for more than a few weeks. More like a few years." I said.

Seth took me into a hug again. He looked into my eyes with those big, soft brown eyes of his. I could feel this tugging in my chest. I felt like I was being pulled towards Seth. I smiled at him before hugging myself to him. I wrapped my arms around his abdomen and laid my head on his chest. He was a little taller than me, so it made it easier to lay my head on his chest.

I felt Seth's arms go around me gently. His warmth was something I still needed to get used to, but it felt nice in the cooler weather today. He felt me shiver as his arms wrapped around me. He held my hand and pulled me back towards Sam and Emily's house. When we got there, some of the other guys looked like they wanted to apologize. Sam had let out a growl towards the other guys. They all said their apologies to me. I smiled at them and told them that I appreciated they apologized. I still clung to Seth's arm though as I got to know them.

Before I could even go to sit down with Seth, I was pulled into the kitchen by Emily. She wanted to talk to me now that Seth and I are dating. I couldn't help but notice the scars on her face. I didn't stare at them, but I did wonder how she got them though. There were other girls that were dating some of the other guys, but they stayed with them though.

Emily asked me all kinds of questions. She wanted to know everything she could possibly find out about me. I happily answered any questions she had. I was blushing at some of the questions I was being asked. Emily smiled at my blushing. Seth turned occasionally to see us talking. Emily had finished cooking dinner for the guys. She made me a plate and placed it in front of me without even asking.

The guys got their food not long after me. I sat at the counter as everyone else was with each other. I was zoning out as I ate, so I didn't notice everyone staring at me as I ate. I was stuffing my face with the delicious food. When I was finished, I turned to get up only to see everyone staring at me. My face felt like it was about to burst into a giant flame. I went to place my stuff in the sink. I thanked Emily for the food before telling everyone goodbye.

I started walking home in the chilly weather. As I walked home, I felt a warm hand wrap around mine. I looked over to see Seth walking with me. He wore his usual warm smile as he held my hand and walked me home. I couldn't help but smile when I saw his smile. He made me feel so happy when we were together.


	2. Chapter 2

Another few weeks passed by. Not much had changed. I was in the best relationship I thought I'd ever have. Seth was the love of my life although we were still in high school. Seth was always there when I needed him. I felt selfish for keeping him to myself so often.

Every time I spent the evening or day with Seth at his house, I always felt like we were being watched. I knew Seth's mother Sue wasn't overly worried about us. She would check on us to make sure we were ok. It was Leah that watched us very closely.

She wasn't even watching so much. She would walk by where ever we were sitting at and glare at me. I don't know why she was glaring at me. It made me feel uncomfortable. It didn't seem to bother Seth. He may not have noticed. Leah always glared at me when she thought neither of us were looking. I noticed every time she did it.

The next time Seth asked me to come over, I told him I'd come over. Sue was there for a few minutes. She told us that Leah was in charge while she was gone. Seth and I stayed on the couch with some food and watched TV. Sam stopped by and said he needed to talk with Seth. Leah turned away from Sam, as if she were angry or upset with him. Seth and Sam walked outside to talk about whatever they needed to talk about.

I had finally worked up the courage to talk to Leah.

"Leah? Can I ask you something?" I asked her.

"Sure." She said with an eye roll.

"Why do you not like me?" I asked her.

She stopped what she was doing then. She looked over at me with anger or annoyance on her face.

"I don't like you dating my little brother. In fact I'm not to found of you at all. I've seen sweet girls like you before. You start out all sweet and innocent and have nothing. But the second you think you can become popular with one group of people, you can get whatever you want." Leah said angrily towards me.

"What are you talking about Leah?" I asked, wishing I'd never brought this up.

"I mean you developed so quickly that once a popular boy notices you, you will break my brother's heart and not even have a second thought about it. You will keep saying you love him but I don't believe it. I've seen how some of the guys are with you. I know one of them will convince you to leave Seth. Why don't you just leave now? One of you is just going to get heart broken. Maybe even both." Leah said, before turning to leave.

The way Leah had put this really hurt me. I decided to believe her. I left through the back door and went home the long way that night. I was on the verge of tears as what Leah said was really true. I couldn't help but think what she said was true. I decided I would leave a note on Seth's locker on Monday morning when I got to school. It'd be the best way to tell him I needed to talk.


	3. Chapter 3

On Monday morning I left the note on Seth's locker. I told him I needed to talk with him about some things. This was going to be very hard for me. I never wanted to break Seth's heart, but what Leah said on Saturday was true. I had looked back over the last few months of hanging out with Seth and the others.

Some of the guys were taken and would never dream of hurting the girls they were with. But the ones who weren't taken seemed to be a little flirty with me. At the time I didn't realize that's what was happening. I'm surprised that Seth never told me or never got mad about it. I just wondered what Seth's real reason for dating me was.

I'm almost certain it was possible that this was some phase. Mom had even told me to be careful because not all high school boys are very nice. She was worried about me being hurt. To some extent I did feel hurt. I knew that I made this out to be a lot bigger than what it was, but I never thought feeling like this about someone could even exist. Even as I thought about breaking Seth's heart, it was slowly killing me. I didn't like this feeling.

I waited until lunch to talk with Seth. I knew it was crazy of me to be like this or even go through with this plan, but I needed to rip the band aid off quickly. I knew it was going to be painful. Not just for Seth, but for me too.

I walked into the cafeteria and looked around the lunchroom. Seth was sitting with his usual group of friends. Well the guys he always hung out with at Sam and Emily's place were his friends anyway. I walked over to where they were sitting. I could actually feel my heart racing and my stomach churn as I got closer. About halfway there, all courage I had just fled my body. I stood frozen for a minute. I wanted to walk over to Seth and hug him so badly and tell him everything. I had to keep reminding myself of what Leah said though.

Before I even knew it I was crying. I stood in the middle of the cafeteria looking like an idiot. I was staring at this boy that I loved for so long as I cried that people were starting to stare at me. The guys Seth were with looked at me and told Seth something. That's when he turned to look me in the face. His warm smile immediately turned to a frown. I turned and ran out of the cafeteria just as Seth was about to get up.

I quickly ran out of the doors to the cafeteria. I ran straight outside and into the woods. I had ran so far that I had no idea how long I'd been running for. It was still daylight. As long as I was able to get out before dark I should be fine. I decided to stay here for a little bit. I texted Seth as I sat down on a bench in the woods.

_**B: **__Seth, I'm so sorry about that. There is something I need to tell you._

I waited for him to reply.

_**S:**__ It's ok. Why are you so upset? What happened? I want to help you. _

_**B:**__ Seth I don't know how to put this nicely, but I'm going to try._

_**S:**__ Put what nicely? Brittlyn what's going on with you?_

_**B:**__ Seth I'm breaking up with you. _

_**S:**__ What? Why?_

_**B:**__ I talked to Leah on Saturday when you went to talk with Sam. She told me some stuff that made me think about us. Don't be mad at her. I just think that maybe a little time apart would do us some good. I'm sorry Seth. _

I waited a few minutes for a reply. I didn't get one. I figured Seth was really angry right now. I'm happy that I wasn't there to see him be upset. I couldn't have went through with this if I had to sit there and watch how he reacted. Suddenly the hurting in my chest from before got a hundred times worse. I couldn't imagine what this pain was from. The last doctor's appointment I went to said I was fine.

The pain was making me hurt so much that I had trouble breathing. I couldn't move it was so bad. I tried to focus on getting my breathing under control. I knew that this wasn't a normal reaction. It felt like someone had punched their fist through my chest and was ripping my heart out. I stood up off the log so I could start walking home.

I thought I stood up too fast because I was feeling dizzy and sick. I forced myself to focus long enough to get home. As I walked in the front door, mom came in to see who it was. When she first looked at me she looked shocked. The dizzy and sick feeling as well as the chest pains were getting worse. I had to grab onto something very quickly before I fell over. I couldn't even speak.

"Honey, you look awful! What's wrong? What's going on?" Mom asked me.

I didn't have the strength to answer her.

"Brittlyn answer me!" Mom told me sternly.

I looked up at her, eyes wide and worried. I took a step backwards as I looked at her. I closed my eyes and everything went black. I didn't hear or see anything else after that. In fact I didn't even feel anything. I just remember blackness. The feel of nothingness. Nothing was in my black space. Not even my thoughts or my voice. It was a void and I was just floating there. I couldn't see or hear or feel or touch anything. All my senses had left me.

After what seemed like a few minutes to me, I started hearing things again. They were voices that I recognized. It sounded mostly like my mother's voice. It sounded like all the voices I heard were shouting and whispering at the same time. Maybe even saying a prayer. I couldn't make out any of the words because it was all going too fast.

As I still see the blackness, I start noticing other senses coming back to me. I feel something soft under me. The blackness begins to swirl. There is dead silence except the noises coming from outside and a couple voices from downstairs. Then I become conscious enough to open my eyes. I feel confused and disoriented. I looked around to see that I was now laying in my bed in my room. That's when I noticed my breathing and the chest pains were still there to a lesser degree now. I felt a tingliness in my arms and lips now. I waited to see if anything else new popped up.


	4. Chapter 4

As I waited for some other new symptom to show up, my bedroom door opened. I waited for whoever it was to come in. It was Sue Clearwater to my surprise. I wonder how long she'd been here. I assumed she was acting as a nurse or something. Mom would've called her because they were best friends growing up together. Mom trusted and valued what Sue had to say.

Sue walked in and saw that I was conscious again. She walked over to me and offered me a small smile.

"How are you feeling Brittlyn?" Sue asked calmly.

"I've been better. Still feeling a bit weird. What happened anyway? The last thing I remember is being downstairs and closing my eyes." I told her.

"You seemed to have passed out. Don't you remember that?" Sue asked me.

I thought back over the last little bit.

"The last thing I remember before passing out was mom talking to me as this horrible sick and dizzy feeling set in and my chest was hurting really badly too. Then I become conscious again here in my bed. I'm not really sure what happened at all." I explained.

"Well it sounds like it could be stress related to me. Plus Seth told me what happened between the two of you today at school. I'm sorry to hear that things didn't work out so well with you two. I know Seth wants to make it right with you. He isn't entirely sure what to do though." Sue said.

I looked down. I felt ashamed for breaking his heart. I didn't think it'd be so bad for him. I thought maybe he'd like the freedom of getting to choose anyone else that he wanted. I'm not the right kind of girl for Seth anyway. I wish I could have told him that. It might have made things a little easier for the both of us. I know I probably still would've been hurt, but maybe Seth wouldn't have been.

"Will you please tell Seth that I'm really, really sorry about today? That I feel absolutely terrible about everything and that I hope he can one day forgive me for hurting him so bad." I asked.

"I sure will tell him. I know he wants to talk with you. He's going to give this sometime first before he tries to approach you though. Oh and you'll need to stay in bed for the rest of today and tomorrow. I just want to be sure that everything is ok." Sue said.

I nodded in agreement. I also gave her a weak smile as she left. I could hear her talking to mom downstairs. I tried to ignore it as much as possible. It wasn't very hard though. I had plenty of other things on my mind. This was going to be the most difficult time in my life. I just hope I could do this.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few weeks were very difficult. I had gotten better after passing out. Seth even had Sue checking on me more often than necessary. I could tell Seth didn't want to make direct contact with me. I couldn't tell if it was because he was really trying to give me some space or if it was because he hated me now. Either way I didn't deserve his kindness and warmth any more.

I had hurt him pretty badly. I was only doing what Leah said because she knew her brother better than I did. I wanted him to be happy without me. Even if it meant I hurt like I have the last few weeks. I knew better than to try and talk to him in front of the others at school or anywhere else. I'd be in a lot more trouble than I already was. I knew Sue didn't want either of us to hurt. She cared enough about the both of us to not want this. She was always too nice to me.

I deserved it because I knew it would've come one day. I just didn't think it would be so soon. Ever since the breakup, I'd been pretty messed up. And I was the one who dumped him. I just couldn't forget about it because of this stabbing pain in my chest. It was a constant reminder that I hurt him so much. All I did any more was walk around like a zombie. Like I shouldn't be alive.

One Saturday afternoon, it was beautiful outside. I couldn't bear to look at it. I couldn't even stand to feel the suns warmth on my skin. It reminded me too much of Seth. I knew this was a bit much, but it was something I couldn't help. I just needed to cope with this in my own way.

Which gave me an idea. I was finally starting to perk up a little bit. I ran down the stairs grabbing my keys to the house. I wrote a note to mom and dad, telling them I was going out to First Beach. That I'd be back by dinner.

I raced out the front door, barely keeping my phone and keys in my hand. I was getting more and more excited the more I thought about it. I planned on going to the beach close to the reservation. I wanted to scope out the cliffs and see if anyone was there. If not then I'd be going cliff diving. I'd heard Seth talk about it enough to know how much of a rush I'd get from doing it. It was a beautiful enough day to give it a try anyway.

It was also enough to distract me from my pain. I ran the long way there through the reservation. It took me long enough, but I wanted anyone and everyone to see me getting out with a smile on my face and head in the direction of the cliffs. If I were lucky, then one of the guys that Seth hung out with would see me. Then they could tell Seth and hopefully he'd know what happened to me if I didn't live through this.

I finally made it to the beach. I walked close enough to the edge to see if anyone were there. To my luck all the guys and Leah were there. I smiled to myself. I wanted to have a little fun of my own and see if anyone would notice me going to jump. I got more excited and the pain had nearly quit. I saw the back of She's head. I wanted to call out to him. I wanted to race over to him and tell him that I'm sorry and beg for his forgiveness. I thought the best way to show him I was sorry was by cliff jumping and showing him I wasn't scared.

I remembered the trail Seth said would take me out to the highest cliff. I followed the trail exactly and found myself at the right cliff. I had sat my keys and phone down on the ground. I didn't want to lose them. Or destroy them for that matter. I was very excited to try this. I walked over to the edge of the cliff. I wanted to see how far down it went. It was definitely a high jump. I walked back over to my phone and keys to put my shoes with them.

I turned back toward the edge of the cliff. I could hear the guys screaming down at the beach. I couldn't make out what it was exactly, but they sounded excited. I got a running start toward the edge of the cliff. As I got to the edge, I pushed myself away from the cliff and went into a diving position.

I fell for what seemed like forever. When I finally hit the water, it was freezing. I didn't care because I almost instantly went numb. I swam my way back to the top of the water. My head popped through into the air. I took in a deep breathe. I felt a major rush. It was nice to be in the water a little. Although I was trying to be careful not to get swept out any further by the currents.

I made my way back to shore. Everyone was standing there. Even Seth. They all looked shocked at me being there. I'd come up with some excuse as to why I was here. I'd tell them something if they needed to know, but I couldn't tell them the truth. It'd make me look bad.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" Someone screamed at me.

It took a few seconds to realize who it was yelling at me.

"I'm sorry Sam. I was just coming out to have a little fun." I said sheepishly.

"Well you scared us all to death. Sue said it seemed as if you were suicidal. And for you to come here and do that to Seth. I'm shocked!" Sam yelled again.

"I'm shocked too! How could you do all this to my little brother?!" Leah questioned loudly.

That is what made me finally snap. I didn't realize how long I'd been holding this in for, but it was finally coming out.

"Don't you even start that shit with me Leah! You are the one who told me to break up with Seth! It was you that made me feel uncomfortable by glaring at me every time I came over to hang out with Seth! I never stopped loving him! I only broke up with him because I thought I could trust his big sister! I thought you knew him well enough to not want him to get hurt! I have been having chest pains for three weeks because of us breaking up. I can't even trust you any more Leah!" I screamed at her.

I stormed off in the directions of the cliffs again. My good mood vanished after what Leah said. I decided to get my stuff and go home. By the time I made it back to my stuff I was completely dry. I put my shoes back on and grabbed my other things. When I turned around, Seth was just coming out of the woods. I stood there looking down. I was ready to cry all over again knowing he was so hurt over everything.

That's when he hugged me. I felt Seth's arms around me. He hugged me gently but close to him. I heard him sniffle once. I pulled back to look at him. He was crying a little bit. I was stunned to see this. I wiped a lone tear off his cheek. Then I kissed his cheek. He smiled at me.

"Was what you said true? Have you really loved me all this time?" Seth asked me.

"Yes Seth. The only reason any of this happened was because of Leah. I thought she was just trying to keep you from getting hurt." I explained.

"Leah is still kind of bitter over what happened with her and Sam. But I love you too. And I think it's time I explained something to you." Seth said.


	6. Chapter 6

"What are you talking about Seth? I should be the one explaining to you." I said.

Seth shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I have something I need to tell you. I don't think you'll want to hear this in all honesty, but you need to know."

I was confused. I wasn't sure what he could possibly need to explain to me. He hadn't done anything wrong that I knew of. I waited anxiously for him to explain. I hope whatever it was would explain maybe why Leah hated me.

"Well I guess it'd be better if I just showed you. There's no way I could say this and you believe me at all." Seth said.

I waited a moment before speaking. "What could you possibly need to explain to me that wouldn't make any sense?"

Suddenly Seth disappeared and a wolf took his place. I was scared and shocked at this sight. I managed to stumble backwards. As I did I fell down and continued scooting myself backwards, momentarily forgetting where I was. This wolf was huge and it was frightening. That's when the cliff gave way under me. I was falling towards the water.

As I hurdled towards the water, I braced myself for a dive. I hit the water just right so I barely made a splash. I was able to surface and start swimming for land. Once I was on land, I hurriedly ran for my car. Luckily I had my keys and other items in my hand. I was so frightened and shocked by what I had seen that I didn't even speak. I hadn't processed what I just witnessed and probably wouldn't for a while.

I drove myself home in my car and went straight upstairs. I took a shower and went to my room. I opened my window and allowed some air to come in. I finally sat down on my bed and thought through the last thing that happened at the cliff.

When I finally put it into perspective, it was making sense to me. Seth had inherited the gene to change into a wolf. All the legends our tribe had were true. I never thought I'd have to take them seriously. I wondered how long Seth knew about this and didn't tell me. I also wondered who else knew about this. Or at least was a part of it.

I feel asleep that night thinking of nothing but Seth. I dreamed of him all night. I kept dreaming of us near the cliff. One minute it'd be just me and Seth. The next minute it'd be me and the big wolf that Seth turned into. I would get scared and run into the woods. I'd know where I was for a while, then I'd just get lost. I'd turn around to see the wolf snarling and growling at me. I get even more frightened.

I'd try talking to the wolf. I wanted to calm him. Tell him that I would never hurt him. I wanted to be friends with him. I could feel his anger. I could feel his sadness and frustration. It were almost as if we were connected emotionally. It was an odd feeling. I tried getting up to walk to the bear sized wolf, but my legs weren't working for me. I couldn't move and I was stuck sitting on the ground, leaning up against a tree. That's when the wolf crouched and leapt towards me. Before he got to me, I woke up.

I was hot and sweaty. I looked outside and saw that it was almost daylight. I checked my clock to see what time it was. It was a minute to seven. My alarm was about to go off. When it did, I shut it off and got myself cleaned up for school. In twenty minutes I was presentable enough to leave for the day. I realized I needed to talk to Seth. It was urgent. I texted him we needed to talk soon, preferably not at school, not at either of our houses or anywhere where someone would listen in. He texted back he'd meet with me where ever I wanted.

I went to school and did what I had to. I was so distracted by my dream and what I had witnessed yesterday, I was barely able to concentrate on school at all. My friends had noticed my sudden change in mood and were concerned by the fact that I wasn't with Seth. They wondered what was going on. I didn't even notice how they were staring at me at first.

"Britt? Are you ok?" Sara asked.

I blinked as I looked at here. "I'm fine. I'm just a bit distracted at the moment."

Sara looked at Allison and Jenessa. They watched me and didn't ask any more questions. They watched me for most of lunch. They were really worried about me and my sudden shift in mood. I could only imagine what they were thinking. I knew they wouldn't press me for any answers.

I stood up and meekly walked over to where Seth sat. He had been glancing at me during lunch or in the halls between classes. He looked so hurt, so lonely. That's exactly how I felt and I wish I didn't have to see his face like this. It killed me to know how I reacted was hurting him so much. I stopped short and thought about what I was doing. I was about to talk to Seth here at school in front of everyone.

I turned and ran out of school. I felt a wetness on my cheeks. At first I thought it was tears, and it probably was. When I looked up, I saw rain coming down through the canopy of green above me. I was crying and getting rained on. I felt horrible for running out, but I needed some time to think. I didn't know what was happening in my life. Everything was being flipped upside down.

Once I was deep enough into the forest, I found a log to sit down on. I needed to clear my head and think on what I was really wanting to say. I wondered why this was all happening now. I wanted to figure this all out and get back to being with Seth. I wanted to go back to hanging out with him and everything being fine again. That's when I felt a heavy pressure on my chest. It was very heavy and I wasn't sure why I was feeling it.

I put my head down between my knees. I needed to calm myself down. I listened to the animals around me. Suddenly I heard four paws thumping toward me quietly. Then there was a whimpering sound. A head nudged my arm. I pulled my head up enough to look at the wolf in front of me. I stuck my hand out and let the wolf nudge it. The warmth I felt from the creature was unreal. That's when the wolf laid down on the ground beside me. It looked as sad and hurt as I felt.

"Seth?" I asked.

The wolf whimpered in response.

"I'm sorry about how I've been acting. I haven't been very considerate about how you feel. Nor have I been very nice about any of this. I hope you'll forgive me." I said, looking down ashamed.

Seth nudged me again with his head. I smiled and kissed him on his nose. He laid his head on my shoulder. I rested my head on his. Seth adjusted himself enough to allow me to lean on him. As I got comfortable, I let his warmth flow around me. I eventually fell asleep here with him.


	7. Chapter 7

When I woke up later, I found myself laying in my bed at home. I wondered how I got here. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep on Seth in the woods. At least I think that's what happened anyway. I sat up in bed and stretched for a second. I felt unusually cold. My window wasn't open, so I know that wasn't the problem.

That's when my door opened quietly. Sue Clearwater poked her head in to see if I were awake or not. I smiled weakly at her. She smiled back at me and walked in. She shut the door behind her and walked over to my bed side. I scooted over enough to give her some room to sit down. She looked down and then looked at me.

"So would you like to talk about why you are really in bed? Or do you want me to believe you are really sick too?" Sue asked me.

I looked down at my hands. I tried thinking what the best way to put this would be.

"I guess it's just…" I started.

Sue smiled at me. "I know Seth really likes you. The question is, do you like him?"

I didn't have to think about this. Of I liked Seth. If I were being at all honest with myself or anyone else, I loved Seth. I'd do anything he asked me to do. He wasn't just my best friend. He was the love of my life. I couldn't bear to leave him. I couldn't even bear to see him get hurt.

"I do like him. I like him a lot more than one person should like someone else." I told Sue.

"I know he likes you too. He is actually waiting for you downstairs right now. When he brought you home he called me and said he thought you might be sick. You have been asleep for a few hours." Sue said.

I smiled at the thought of Seth caring so much. I wondered how he got me home though. I didn't think he'd be strong enough to carry me here. Maybe he had one of the guys carry me home. I wasn't entirely sure what he did or how he did it, but I was happy to be home.

"Would it be ok for Seth to come in? I'd really like to talk with him." I said.

Sue nodded. She left the room with a smile and went back downstairs. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. The door opened a bit so Seth could look in at me. He gave a weak smile for a second and then frowned. I motioned for him to come sit in the bed next to me. He walked in and sat down to face me from the end of the bed.

"Seth, I'm so sorry about everything that has happened. I don't think it was fair of me to put you through that kind of pain." I explained.

"Don't apologize. I know that it must've been hard for you to process this information. I should be the one to apologize." Seth said, looking ashamed.

"Don't be like that Seth. You did what you had to do. I'm definitely the one to apologize for the last few days. I didn't know how to handle it. I could've done better." I explained.

Seth looked at me and smiled. He grabbed my hand and held onto it. I pulled him towards me. Seth was a lot stronger than I imagined he would be for someone his age. He came over towards me as I pulled him over playfully. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me towards him. He was laying on top of the blankets. His heat was going through them. It was warming me up. I put my head on his chest and a hand around his waist.


	8. Chapter 8

I had fallen asleep again. It felt nice to be near Seth and talking to him again. Seth didn't move an inch once I fell asleep in his arms. I'm not sure how long I was out for this time, but it looked like it was still day time outside. I wondered what time it was. Once I was awake enough to check, I looked at the screen on my phone.

I was shocked to see that it was nearly seven thirty in the morning. I was going to be late for school and so was Seth. I ran around finding clothes that would be decent enough to wear today. I just threw my hair into a pony tail. Seth woke up after I had changed and rubbed his eyes.

"What time is it?" Seth asked through his yawn.

"Seth it's seven forty-five! We are going to be late for school!" I said as I ran around getting my school stuff.

Seth came over and helped me get my things into my backpack. I realized he wasn't freaking out. Why was he not freaking out? I knew I wasn't crazy. We did have school today and we were going to get in trouble if we didn't get there soon.

"You ready to go?" Seth said with his warm smile.

I nodded. "I'm ready."

Seth grabbed my hand and walked downstairs with me. I told mom I was heading out for school. She hugged me before I left with Seth. She smiled and told him goodbye. I smiled and went along with Seth. It was nice to walk with him to school.

When we got there, people stared at us. It was a little weird to be stared at. We had went to class like normal. It was boring and driving me nuts today for some reason. I couldn't wait to get to lunch and talk with Seth. I didn't care if the guys listened in or not. In fact, I didn't care if they even made fun of me. I just needed to have Seth's sunny disposition close so I didn't lose my mind.

When it was finally time to go lunch I was happy. I got a tray of food. Which wasn't much. I wasn't really hungry, but I managed to get an apple and some milk. I looked around the room to find Seth. When I noticed him sitting at his usual table, it looked like the guys were teasing him about something.

I wanted to take up for Seth if they were being mean to him. It was hard to watch him get picked on for being one of the youngest in the group. I walked over and was trying to find out what they were teasing Seth about. I only hoped everyone could keep their tempers under control. Especially myself.

"Hey Brittlyn. Heard you and Seth here made up." Paul said.

"Yeah we made up." I said.

"You guys must've had a good time if Seth was blowing us off." Paul kept on.

"Sure I guess. He came over to spend some time with me yesterday. He ended up falling asleep with me in his arms. He helped me to warm up any way." I said as I took a bite out of the apple I had gotten.

Paul let out a loud laugh. It hurt my ears for a second. I looked up to Paul for a second. I had to wonder why he was laughing. No one else was. What I said wasn't even that funny. I looked at Seth with a very confused expression. I wanted to ask what was so funny to Paul, but something about Seth seemed to tell me not to.

"Seth kept you warm and is wearing the same clothes he wore yesterday. I didn't think he could convince you to be this loose this soon." Paul said before chuckling at us.

I suddenly felt furious. Not because of what Paul was implying about me, but because of what he was saying about Seth. I knew Seth wouldn't do that. He wouldn't be like Paul and try to get me to sleep with him. I took my tray and hit Paul in the head with it. I wasn't trying to hit him very hard. But I must've hit him harder than I thought or took him by surprise. He fell over like a ton of bricks after my tray hit him square in the eye.

"Fuck off Paul!" I yelled at him. "Seth wouldn't be like you in that way and you know it!"

I stormed off. I grabbed my bag on the way and started walking in the direction of my next class. I was so pissed that I couldn't see straight. It was hard to focus with what happened buzzing around in my head like a swarm of bees.

I had finally got myself calmed down enough before classes started up again. Normally I had this class with Seth, but he wasn't there. He must've been talking to Paul or went home early or something. It was a long rest of the day without him. When I left school and started walking home. Some of the guys that Seth hung out with were waiting for me.

At the front of the group was Sam. He looked angry. I wasn't sure what he had to mad about or what it had to do with me, but I was going to try and help him if I could. I didn't pay too much attention to the other guys who were there. When I got closer I noticed Paul was surrounded by three other guys. Embry, Quil and Jacob. I wondered what was going on.

"Brittlyn, we need to talk." Sam said authoritatively.

"About what? Is Seth ok?" I asked, trying to keep myself under control.

Sam nodded.

"Everything is now, but you caused a problem today at school from what I understand." Sam said.

I thought back over the day. I walked myself through the events of the day. When I finally remembered what happened at lunch, I felt a bit angry. Then I remembered how Paul always was. I started feeling guilty then. I looked down for a moment and then back up to Sam.

"Yeah I guess I kind of did cause a problem at school today. It wasn't intentional and I will take part of them blame for it." I said, before looking around to stare at Paul for a moment.

"I appreciate that you are willing to take some responsibility for this. Paul has something he'd like to say to you." Sam said.

Sam stepped to the side, allowing Paul to walk forward. Paul looked down then looked up at me. He had this boyish charm to his face that didn't even begin to compare to what Seth face has looked like. I looked at Paul and waited for him to speak.

"Brittlyn I'm sorry about what I said at lunch. I realize now that it was uncalled for. I should respect your boundaries a little more. I hope you can forgive me." Paul finally spoke.

I smiled at him. I could tell Paul was wanting to do this. It made me feel nice that he was so willing to apologize for his mistake. I took a step towards Paul and hugged him. I felt one of his warm arms wrap around me. I took a step back after that.

"Thanks Paul. I really appreciate that. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have thrown my lunch tray and cursed at you. Can you forgive me?" I asked.

Paul smiled and rubbed my hair. "Sure I can kid. You're still young and learning. You aren't half bad either."

I smiled. Then I looked back to Sam and decided to ask a question.

"Where is Seth at? I missed him today after lunch. Is he feeling ok?" I asked him.

"Seth is fine. He was pretty fired up about what happened at lunch. He wanted me to tell you he'd check in with you, but he wasn't sure when it'd be." Sam told me.

I was worried about Seth. I was almost certain he'd be in his wolf form. I'm sure he'd be in the woods and would be staying out of sight of any hikers. It worried me that he wouldn't get to come over again tonight and I would miss him greatly.

"Sam? Can you give Seth a message for me? I'm sure you'd be able to reach him better than I could right now." I asked.

Sam nodded and was ready to head off into the woods with my message.


	9. Chapter 9

After Sam took my message and went off into the woods, I went home to change. The other guys went about their days, doing whatever it is they liked to do. I sat my backpack down in my room and went to my closet. I changed into a dress that Seth once said he liked really well.

It was a knee length dress that was a light blue with yellow and white flowers all over it. The sleeves were short and came just below my shoulder. I picked out some sandals that were a nice light brown color. After I finished getting dressed, I went to tell mom that I was heading out to meet Seth.

I walked out to the beach. It had turned into a beautiful day since the last part of the school day. I walked patiently through the woods, making sure to leave my scent at different places. I eventually made my way to the cliffs. I stood by the very edge of the cliff. I looked down and thought about when I found out he was able to change forms.

I waited patiently for Seth to get here. I didn't know if my plan would work. I only hoped it would because I really needed to talk with Seth. It was bothering me that Seth was still taking this so seriously. I know I was mad this morning, but I have since then calmed down enough to see it was just Paul being Paul. I got lost in thought as I waited.

There was a noise behind me. It startled me out of my thoughts. I turned to face the woods. I made sure to scoot away from the edge so I didn't fall over into the water again. I looked into the tree line waiting for someone to come out. At first I didn't notice anything. There was a sudden movement just near the edge of the trees.

That's when the moving object came out of the tree line. It was an extremely pale looking women with red hair. Her hair and walk were the most startling things about her. Her hair was a fiery red that curled and puffed out around her face, framing it nicely. Her walk was very feline like. She looked as if she were ready to pounce on someone.

"Hello there. You must be a ways from home." She said.

"Actually I'm not all that far from home at all. I'm waiting for a friend right now." I said.

The woman standing in the shadows of the trees stared at me. She didn't seem to be that old, but she was older than I am. I never saw this wild looking woman and thought she was bit frightening. Something about her was off as well. I don't know exactly what it was. She seemed a bit too… free.

She turned suddenly as if she heard something. She turned back towards me and ran right past me. She jumped over the edge of the cliff and nose-dived into the water. I watched after her. I kind of hoped she was ok. She stayed under water for a lot longer than she should have. I thought about jumping in to make sure she was ok. Before I could move, someone grabbed my arm. I screamed in response.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." A familiar voice said.

I turned to look and found Seth standing there.

"It's ok Seth. I was just talking to this very pale woman and she just jumped into the water. She hasn't come up yet and it's really starting to bother me." I explained.

"Don't worry about her. She was trouble and shouldn't be near you. Sam gave me your message by the way." Seth said.

I smiled and looked down. I looked back up to Seth's face and had very big grin on my face. Seth gave me a confused smile. I stood on my tippy toes to kiss him on the lips. I was so new to the kissing and dating stuff. So the kiss I gave Seth was a little awkward on my end.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" I asked.

"No, but I can take a few guesses at how much you love me if you'd like?" Seth said.

"Well I love you more than you could possibly ever know Seth. I never knew that this strong of a connection could really exist. I'm just so bad at expressing it or showing it in obvious ways. But I hope you can understand that I am sorry about some things that have happened between us recently and I want to make it up to you." I explained.

Seth smiled at me. "Of course I understand. And consider it all made up for. The way you have apologized and told me how you feel is good enough for me. I don't hold grudges. Plus seeing Paul get hit in the face with your tray at lunch was a little funny."

I chuckled at this. I hugged Seth and put my arms around him. Seth put his arms around me to. I could feel him smelling my hair. I hugged him even tighter to me. I didn't want to let go. It was nice to have my warmth back. He was my own personal heater and a ray of sunshine. I couldn't imagine things getting any better than this.


	10. Chapter 10

I held Seth close to me. The sun was setting over the water and everything was perfect. I was nervous about what I was about to do. I thought I could handle it well enough because I'm sure Seth was ready for it. I looked down then looked up at him.

Seth absolutely glowed standing there. His russet skin made him look like a sculpture. Something that was carved out of wood or some other kind of material. I couldn't believe I was about to do this. It was going to be a very big step in our relationship.

I wrapped my arms around Seth's neck. I stood on my tippy toes as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I kissed Seth passionately. He didn't hesitate to kiss back. I pulled him closer to me if that were even possible. I felt Seth frowning into the kiss. I pulled back to look at him.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked frowning and stepping back.

"No, you didn't do a thing wrong. In fact you were doing everything right. I just think it'd be better if we waited for that step." Seth said.

"Do you… Do you not want me like that?" I asked on the verge of tears.

"Oh don't say it like that. Of course I would love to be with you like that. It's just that we are still in high school. We aren't married or anything like that either. I can't just take your virginity like that. Or risk hurting you physically. I hope you understand." Seth explained.

"Are you sure Seth? I'm willing to give you whatever makes you happy." I said.

"I know you are Britt, but emotionally it will be very hard on us right now. Just promise me you will wait until we both are ready. That's all I ask of you." Seth told me.

I nodded. "I promise."

Seth hugged me. I hugged him back. When we stepped back I yawned. Seth chuckled at my yawn. I had to admit that I was feeling tired. Seth grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him again. He kissed the top of my head and we started walking home. Seth was telling me why he ditched the rest of school.

I listened intently as I stayed hooked to his arm. We walked all the way home like this. Seth stayed animated the whole time. It made me happy to know that Seth wasn't about to push me into anything I wasn't ready for. It was hard to tell sometimes if he was being completely honest. I only hoped that he'd be completely honest with me. It scared me that he wouldn't and would eventually leave me.


	11. Chapter 11

A few weeks had passed since that day at the cliffs. I thought about the woman I met that day every so often since then. I would talk to Seth about her when she came to mind. We were almost always with the guys when I'd just start talking about her. I didn't even realize I was doing it until I'd look at Seth and see how concerned he was.

I had to admit I was pretty concerned too. I hoped that the woman was alright. Over the last week I really tried not to bring it up. That's when I started having these dreams about her. I was having these dreams about her almost nightly. It was unusual for me to dream this often about any one thing in particular.

I never told Seth about those dreams either. Seth must've forgotten about the woman because he never brought it up. It was weird that she never came up out of the water. At least not that I saw anyway. She may have come up when I was distracted by Seth.

On Monday at school I was feeling especially irritated. I wasn't at all sure why. Maybe it was because I was feeling a little ignored by Seth. Sam had him running extra patrols. It would sometimes be double shifts. I missed having Seth beside me at night when he had to do his late shifts. I could only guess at why Sam was making the others do double shifts.

When I got to school Seth wasn't even there. Was he doing another shift for Sam? Or was he too exhausted from his shift last night to be here? It has been like this since the day after I saw the pale woman. I only wondered if she maybe had something to do with why the guys were on their toes.

During the whole morning, my stomach and sides would not stop hurting. I felt miserable from whatever it was that was causing all the pain. I couldn't hardly focus on class or what people were telling me. By the time I finally made it to lunch I was in so much pain I felt as if I were physically dying from the inside out.

I went to sit with my friends. I did so on a regular basis whether Seth was with me or not. At times I would sit with Seth and some of the guys at their table. Seth was usually pretty happy where ever I wanted to be. In a way I was a little happy that Seth wasn't there. I didn't feel like having him near me and get upset and only make this worse.

"You look terrible Britt." Jennifer said.

"Are you ok?" Heather asked.

"I feel just as horrible, if not worse, than I look. I feel as if I am slowly dying from the inside out. Physically anyway." I explained.

"I think you should go to the nurse's office." Heather said.

"I think I will because I'm feeling so bad. I will see you guys later." I said.

They waved at me as I got up to leave. As I stood up and walked two steps in the direction of the nurse's office I felt a sharp pain on the right side of my stomach. I wasn't sure what happened, but I remember grabbing the table before I blacked out. I remembered nothing after that.


	12. Chapter 12

I woke up later feeling a tingling sensation in my arms and my lips. My chest was hurting and the pain in my back was unbearable. The feeling of wanting to be sick was not helping me at all. Then there was still a little pain left in my stomach. At this point I really wish death would've came over me.

As I was checking myself to see if I could still even move, my eyes remained closed. Everything was still black, I was taking shortened and quicker breathes, and I could've swore I heard someone yelling for me. I couldn't place the voice I heard. It sounded more like multiple voices. It was different voices I heard. Mostly female ones. Like my mother's voice. It sounded like she was maybe praying for me. I couldn't tell because the only word I heard was my name. There was an urgency to it.

When I opened my eyes, it was hard to focus on anything. It seemed like one second I saw one side of my room. Then I woke up on my left side staring toward a wall in my room. I laid there a second. I was so confused as to how I got here. The last thing I remember was being at school and felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I finally found the strength to sit up and look around. It was a little easier to focus, but I felt exhausted. I couldn't remember how I got here or even why. My door opened and mom walked in.

"Hey sweetie. It's good to see that you are finally awake now. How are you feeling?" Mom asked me.

"I honestly don't know mom. I'm feeling so many things at once right now." I answered truthfully.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well I am hurting. I'm feeling dizzy, sick and confused. Plus I don't even remember getting here. The last thing I remember is being at school and feeling a sharp pain in my stomach before I passed out." I explained.

"I see. Well almost all that can be explained away. You apparently had a cyst on your ovary and it had finally popped. It must've have been pretty painful if you passed out during lunch." Mom said.

Sue must've come over. I knew she happened to like me because I made her son so happy. I had to admit Sue was almost like a second mother to me. I loved getting to go over and see her while I spent time with Seth. I know she and mom got along really well and mom loved Seth as if he were her own child. She loved that Seth seemed to make me so happy.

Suddenly I had this urgent need to go to the bathroom. I moved out of bed so I could go pee. I barely managed to make it there on time. When I sat down I felt like I was about to burst. When I looked down, I realized I should've brought an extra pair of underwear with me. Luckily mom brought a pair to the door. She opened it just enough to set them on the sink. I grabbed them and switched them out after I showered and took care of everything.

I went back to bed as I started to cramp again. It was going to be a long and nasty couple of days. It was something I was used to though. The good news was Seth didn't have to see me like this. I was able to live through the pain better if he didn't have to experience it with me. I knew he was miserable when I was.

I was nearly asleep when there was a knock at the door. I propped myself up in bed and said for whoever it was to come in. They did and I was so surprised to see Seth come through the open door. I was shocked that Sam let him off the hook for a few minutes to come see me. I had seen so little of Seth that it was hard to believe that it was really him. He had shot up a few inches since I saw him the day before yesterday.

"Hello beautiful. Heard what happened at school today. I had a gut feeling that something was wrong. Your mom told me you were up and told me how you were feeling." Seth said.

"Yeah. I feel awful, but how did you know about what happened to me?" I asked.

"Mom told me. I was so worried about you. I didn't know whether or not you'd be up when I was coming over. I decided to just chance it." Seth said.

"I appreciate it Seth. I just hate for you to have to see me like this. I know how concerned you get when you see me in pain of some kind." I told him.

"Well I wanted to come be with you no matter what you looked like." Seth told me.

"I'm surprised Sam let you off duty long enough to come see me." I said with a bit of an edge.

"I know he has kept me busy but it's been for good reason." Seth said.

"What good reason could there possibly be for you to be this busy?" I asked harsher than I intended.

"Remember the woman you saw a few weeks ago that you told me about?" Seth asked.

I nodded.

"Well she was a vampire. I suspect that she is trying to get her hands on some fresh human blood to drink. You happened to be in her path that day as she was running from us. That's why she ran and jumped over the cliff just before I got there. She heard me coming and knew what would happen if she didn't." Seth explained.

It all made so much more sense now. I felt bad for thinking that Sam was abusing his power or punishing Seth for some reason. I should've thought there must've been a very good reason why they were working over-time. I patted the bed next to me. I wanted to feel the warmth that Seth had. It would warm me and be a good heating pad for me.

"Why don't you sleep? You look really tired." Seth told me.

"I will, but I have a question first." I said.

"What would that be?" Seth asked me.

"Will you still be here when I get up?" I asked him.

"Yes. Sam has given me a few days off. Especially since you were feeling so rough. He wanted me to have a chance to be with you." Seth explained.

"Good…" I said, before drifting off into a warm, peaceful sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

I slept for another few hours. When I finally woke up, Seth was fast asleep beside me. It was too warm for me laying there right now. I gently got out of bed to go and open the window in my room. It was starting to finally get dark out. There was a warm breeze coming in through the window.

I turned around to see that Seth was still sleeping and hadn't moved an inch yet. I quickly and quietly moved out of my room. I went to get a shower, then grab a snack. I was a lot hungrier than I thought when I finally got to the kitchen. I grabbed a sandwich and a bag of popcorn. I went to sit down in the living room to eat my snack. Before I did I remembered to grab a drink and the remote I needed for the TV.

I turned on the TV and looked through the channels to find something good. There some really good comedies on. I picked one to watch and just left it on. It felt nice to relax a minute without someone checking up on me or feeling too hot.

About the time I finished my first movie Seth came downstairs stretching. I got up to go and hug him. He was surprised by the hug, but didn't hardly move as I ran into him a little too hard. He hugged me back and then managed to pry me away long enough to put his shirt on.

"What are we watching?" He asked.

"I found a channel that has some really good comedies all evening. I'm about to make some fresh popcorn. Want some?" I asked.

"Sure. Sounds good to me." Seth said.

I made a couple new bags of popcorn. I gave one to Seth and shared the other one with him. I wasn't sure how long it had been since he last ate, but he always seemed very hungry. It didn't bother me so much that he ate all the food he did. I was just worried that he was going to make himself sick from eating so much.

Then I started thinking about Seth being gone for so long. I wondered why he was kept so busy. It made me so mad that I hardly had the time to spend with him. Especially over the last week. Maybe I was being a touch over dramatic, but I was missing being with my boyfriend.

"Why have you been so busy lately? Is something going on?" I asked without even thinking about it.


	14. Chapter 14

"I've been really busy doing stuff with the Pack. We've had to run some extra patrols over the last few weeks." Seth said calmly.

"Why? Is something wrong around the reservation?" I asked, feeling a bit concerned now.

"Nothing that you need to worry about. Just smelled something awful that we wanted to make sure didn't turn out to be something bad." Seth explained.

I accepted this. I knew that if it were something very serious then Seth would tell me no matter what. I know he worries about me, but I worry more about him than I do myself. Seth just seemed more or less tired than anything else at the moment. So my number one concern was getting him back to sleep. I tried pulling him over to lay his head on my stomach.

He willing laid himself down across the couch. He faced towards the TV as he did. I started rubbing his hair as we continued to watch the next movie that was coming on. Half the night we spent there on the couch. Luckily neither of us had to go to school tomorrow and we could stay here all night if we wanted to.

We both had eventually fallen asleep. My mother had woken us up to tell us to go back to bed. She saw how exhausted we both were and tried to hide her concern from us. It worked for Seth, but I knew my mother too well to know what she was really thinking.

We moved back to bed after we cleaned up our mess. It was nice to have some time to sleep and know that we have plenty of time over the next few days to spend with each other. Although that night I had a really strange and upsetting dream.

I was sitting out in my parent's yard. It was a beautiful day. One of those days when you know everything is going to be calm and peaceful. I happened to notice that everything was too quiet though. I could only hear a breeze and the faint sound of running water.

Suddenly I notice something shining by the edge of the woods. It is almost blinding. Like a thousand tiny diamonds shining at me. I stood up and walked over to the object. Before I could even get halfway there, a big wolf jumped between me and the object. I could only identify the wolf to be Seth.

He was growling at whatever was in front of him. It frightened me to think he was protecting me from something dangerous. I couldn't think of anything that was that dangerous that he would need to protect me from. When the figure moved back into the woods, I noticed what it was. It was the red-headed woman from the cliffs. I saw fear in her eyes. Then anger. She lunged towards Seth. I jumped between them to try and stop her. She made it to Seth before I could it though. Then I woke up screaming.


	15. Chapter 15

"Brittlyn? What's wrong?" Seth asked in hushed urgency.

I looked around as the sunlight broke through my window. Everything was fine.

"It's nothing. It was just a bad dream. Are you ok? I didn't hit you did I?" I asked him.

Seth smiled at me. Then he laughed and hugged me tight to his chest. He kissed the top of my head once before he answered.

"I didn't feel anything at all. Although your screaming is what scared me." Seth said.

That's when mom came busting through the door with a pan in her hand. She looked around wondering what was going on. She was looking for something that would've been threatening me before she got in to my room. She then turned to look at me and Seth.

"Is everything ok?" She asked us.

"Yeah everything is fine mom. Just a bad dream." I explained.

She sighed and smiled before leaving. I turned over in bed so I could face Seth. I finally noticed something different about him. His hair had grown about three inches longer than the last time we got to spend this much time together.

I sat u and looked at Seth. I hugged him close to me. I took in his scent. He smelled like the woods that we grew up around. I loved that smell. After that I ran my fingers through his hair. It was softer than I remembered it being. It was nice. Seth let out a sigh.

"So what did you dream about?" Seth asked.

"Well, I was actually dreaming about you." I said.

"About me?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Why would dreaming about me make you scream?" He wondered aloud.

"The red headed woman from a few weeks ago had made an appearance in my dream too." I said.

Seth looked at me shocked. I explained to him exactly what had happened in my dream. He sat up and took what I said into consideration. He turned to look at me and asked if she scared me that day at the cliff. I told him exactly what I thought of her that day.

"I wasn't scared of her at all. But I think it's the fact that she is a vampire. She fits all the old stories we've always heard. At least the descriptions of what we know they are supposed to look like." I explained.

"That's why we've been on extra patrols lately." Seth told me.

"Because of the red headed woman. Is she that dangerous to the pack?" I asked.

"Not when there are so many of us. It's easier for us to take down one or two of them when there are several of us together." Seth explained.

I knew that the old stories had some truth to them. I just wondered how many of the vampires there actually are. How long had Seth actually known of their existence and when did he plan on telling me about them? I could only guess what he knew now.


	16. Chapter 16

"Seth, I need to know something." I said.

"What do you need to know?" He asked.

"Why is it that all the guys in the pack have these growth spurts and constantly stay hungry?" I asked.

Seth shrugged. "Guess it's just a wolf thing."

I sighed. Recently we had a pretty bad storm that knocked out the power around the whole reservation. They ended up canceling school and we were assigned to do research for each class. I managed to get all my work done by Thursday. Since we still had a couple days left, I got to spend it with Seth.

"Thank you for inviting me out Seth. I really needed a break from the house." I said.

"It's no problem. Emily has been dying to see you again." Seth said.

We walked all the way to Sam and Emily's place. I loved going to see Emily. I did feel bad for Leah though. Seth had explained to me a while back what had happened between Leah and Sam. I could understand why she wanted to be away from all that.

I hadn't really experienced anything like that before. So I wasn't sure ow she really felt about it all. It probably hurt quite a bit since that was her first serious relationship. It probably stung to know that they all felt this similar pain around each other.

I still had many questions for Seth. I just put off asking them because I wasn't sure how honest he'd be with me about what I wanted to know. I don't think he'd intentionally lie to me, but I don't think he'd give me the whole truth either.

We made it to Sam and Emily's place. A few of the other guys were outside with their imprints. They were all having fun and hanging out around the house. When they saw me coming with Seth down the bank towards the house, they ran to meet us. The girls took me by the hand and led me inside to be with them and Emily.

"Hello Brittlyn. It's good to see you again. It's been too long." Emily greeted me.

"I know Emily. I've really missed you." I said as we hugged each other.

We walked over to the small kitchen area. The other girls talked with us a second before their imprints pulled them back outside. I stayed with Emily to offer my help in the kitchen. She gladly let me help make a big meal for the whole pack and the girls. Seth was outside hanging out with the guys. They were horsing around and passing a football.

"It seems like things are going well with you and Seth." Emily said.

"Yeah I guess so. It's definitely been different." I told her.

"How so?" Emily asked.

"Well, I just feel like Seth is hiding something from me. I can't explain what I mean exactly. I just feel like he is keeping a secret from me." I explained.

That's when everyone walked in to the house. It became a little cramped. Emily told me to go join everyone. I smiled and walked over to where Seth was. He was sitting on the couch right next to the arm of the chair.

As I rounded the corner of the couch, I tripped on something. Seth caught me before I could fall on the floor. He pulled me onto his lap and I was more than happy to sit there. The guys started chuckling as I sat there. I put my hand on the back of his head. I pulled him in for a gentle kiss. Emily finally told us the food was finished. Everyone went to gather a plate full of food.


	17. Chapter 17

After we finished, everyone went back to watching talking or watching TV. I took Seth by the hand and led him outside. I walked us into the woods a little ways. Once we were in deep enough, I stopped. I turned to face him.

"Seth can we talk?" I asked.

"Sure. What would you like to talk about?" Seth said.

"Are you keeping something from me? Because I feel like you are hiding something and I'm not even sure what it'd be. Please tell me if I'm wrong. I'd love to be wrong about this." I said.

Seth sighed and looked away momentarily.

"I know how you must feel right now. There has been something that I want to talk to you about, but I was never sure how to bring it up. The guys have been on my back about this. Especially Paul." Seth explained.

"What are you talking about Seth?" I asked.

"I want to move our relationship to another level. I want to make a commitment to you. We are still young and we can wait for some things as long as you want to. But Brittlyn, will you just promise to marry me?" Seth asked.

I was stunned. Did Seth really propose to me? We were only freshman in high school. I pulled myself together and really thought. I smiled when I was ready with my answer.

"Of course Seth. I will only marry you after we graduate though." I said.

Seth came over to hug me. He took my hand and placed a homemade bracelet on my wrist. I pulled him in for another hug. I kept kissing him. I was feeling things that I never thought I'd feel this soon. Seth must've been feeling the same thing because he grabbed my waist. Then I felt him frown.

"Are you sure about this? I don't want you to do it if you're not ready." Seth said.

"I'm more than ready. Please Seth." I said, nearly begging him for this.

He kissed me again. I managed to keep him close to me. I felt him moving his hand towards my back. This was so new for both of us. I was willing to help things move forward. I unbuttoned my shirt. Seth didn't have a shirt on right now. Seth moved my shirt off my shoulders.

After that I turned my back towards him. I moved my hair over my shoulder and allowed Seth to unhook my bra. Once it was unhooked, I turned back towards him. I watched his face as I slowly moved my bra off my body.

Seth's eyes sparkled like I'd never seen before. He pulled me close to him again. Our skin touched as we stood so close together. His skin was exceptionally warm, but it would feel nice against the cool breeze. I loved the gentle kisses and strokes that Seth placed on my lips and back.

We finally managed to remove the rest of our clothing. Seth had me pinned up against the tree that was directly behind me. I left a hand wrapped around the nape of his neck. My other hand moved to his hair. I grabbed his hair as he entered me, causing me to also let out a gasp. I felt myself adjusting to the size of his erection. My stomach had its own spasms in reaction to this.

Seth had picked up my left leg so he could adjust a little bit. He slowly moved out a little, then back in. I made another gasp. My body reacted to this, wanting more to happen. I moved my hips in a direction that made my mouth water. Seth kissed my collar bone and the left side of my neck. This made me melt in his hands.

Seth started thrusting more as his erection got harder. I felt my breathing get erratic. My breasts bounced as Seth moved inside me. I could feel my insides tightening as Seth kept going. I moaned and closed my eyes as I felt my stomach muscles tighten. I was also tightening around Seth's erection. I started saying Seth's name. My right hand flew to the tree behind me to find something to grip. My left hand only tightened in Seth's hair.

I was getting closer to my orgasm. I was on the verge of screaming. I held the scream in and waited for my orgasm. I could feel Seth waiting for me to have mine before he had his. Just a short minute later I was moaning Seth's name. I exploded all over his erection. Then I felt him explode inside of me. I felt his hard member spasm as it released inside me. I couldn't imagine this is how good sex would feel. I was breathing heavily, but never felt more alive than I did in this moment.


	18. Chapter 18

When we finished, Seth and I stood there. We caught our breathe for a moment. Seth had his forehead pressed to mine. Our eyes were closed. I left my arms loosely wrapped around Seth's neck and kept our bodies close together. I wanted to enjoy this for as long as I could.

"How do you feel?" Seth asked me.

I moved around for a second, ding a complete check of everything.

"I feel absolutely fine. Are you ok?" I asked.

Seth chuckled. "I'm fine. Not a single thing hurts." He said.

I chuckled a bit myself. I realized that must be a silly question, but I felt a need to ask him anyway. Seth kissed my forehead and started to pull out. Before he could, he stopped. He was alert and it frightened me. What did he hear that I possibly couldn't here in the quietest place ever?

"Seth? What is it?" I asked, clearly afraid.

"Shhh…" He whispered gently, clearly sensing my fear.

I waited a minute. I listened carefully for something. Suddenly I heard a twig snap under something heavy. I stiffened and clung to Seth. I waited again for whatever was coming. The longer it took, the worse my anxiety got.

"Can we please have some privacy? I don't want you guys hearing our little conversation." Seth said.

It was the guys? That was not who I was expecting. It was bad to have any of them here though. I only hoped that it wasn't Paul. I knew if he'd seen this he'd never let us live this down. I prayed that whichever one of the guys it was, they didn't come any closer. Suddenly a man's footsteps could be heard.

"Oh come on Seth. We all know what you're really doing out here. And don't worry we aren't looking. Sam told us to get you back to the house for a meeting." Paul's voice rang out loud and clear.

"Ok tell him I will be there in a minute." Seth said angrily.

The footsteps got further and further away. Seth relaxed as he didn't hear them anymore. He finally pulled out. That gave me a quick sensation. Then as I waited for him to speak, he handed me my clothes to put back on. I quickly put them on and waited on him. He looked at me with a frown. I wondered what was wrong.

"I'm sorry Seth. Did I do something wrong?" I asked.

"No. You did everything right. I'm just sorry about Paul." Seth explained.

"Don't worry about that. I will be fine. I'm not too concerned about him." I said, giving a small smile.

Seth smiled back. We started walking back towards Emily and Sam's place. I felt very happy and not a thing could ruin this good moment. When we cleared the tree line, the guys were standing there waiting for Seth. They all looked pissed. Maybe they had been lectured, but I couldn't be sure though.

"Go on inside with Emily and the other ladies please. Seth needs to be in a meeting with us for a minute." Sam almost commanded.

It didn't affect me all that much, but I went in anyway. I sat down on the couch in Emily's small living room. The other girls didn't seem to notice me come in. That chatted away as if I were still with Seth. I got comfortable and laid my head back against the couch. I noticed how sore I actually was. I hoped that I would quit hurting soon.

I thought about mine and Seth's time in the woods. It made me feel happy. I thought about every little sensation I felt. It comforted me to relive that moment. I eventually fell asleep on the couch. I was exhausted after getting to sit for a few minutes. Maybe this was normal after all we did.


	19. Chapter 19

I felt like I was asleep for only a few short minutes. I started dreaming about Seth. Seth again. This wasn't new for me, but the dream was one I hadn't had for a while. It was the dream where Seth and I go on a picnic. Towards the end we tell each other that we love one another.

It was one of my favorite dreams to have of Seth. I think I liked it so much because I got to tell Seth I loved him and he told me that he loved me. I often thought if he did love me and how much he loved me. I didn't need him to prove it to me. I knew it was a lot or he wouldn't have stayed with me this long.

I was curious as to why he ended up having sex with me though. I knew I had attempted once before, but I was rejected. I thought it was because Seth didn't want that kind of emotional stress yet. I was ready to give him what he wanted when he wanted. The dream I was having only made me believe I was more than ready to give him anything else he wanted.

When the dream ended, I started stirring. I managed to wake myself up enough to see I hadn't been asleep that long. It was still daylight outside and the house was quiet. It had an eerie feeling to it. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I looked over towards the kitchen. The only one who was there was Emily.

"Hey. Sorry I fell asleep on your couch. How long was I asleep for? It didn't feel very long." I said.

"Maybe fifteen minutes. Everyone left about five minutes ago. The guys were going out into the woods to do some searching for whatever reason." Emily explained.

I looked at the clock. It showed that it was only two fifteen. I stood up to stretch. I walked over to the kitchen to be closer to Emily. I suddenly remembered I needed to be home after everything was done here. I walked over to the door to leave before I turn back to Emily.

"Thank you for having me over Emily. Give my thanks to Sam as well. Did he say what time they'd be done with their search?" I asked.

"Sam said it might be later tonight. Why?" Emily asked.

"No reason. I was going to talk to Seth if he happened to come by before I fell asleep tonight." I said.

"Oh ok." Emily said. "Can I talk to you a minute before you leave?"

I looked at the clock again. "Can I call my parents really quick first?" I asked.

"Sure. Go ahead." Emily said, motioning to the phone setting on the counter.

I went over and dialed the number to the house. Mom answered. I told her I was going to talk with Emily a little while and then be on my way home. She said that was fine. She hung up after that.

"What's up Emily? Is everything ok?" I asked her.

"Well everything is fine with me. It's you that I'm worried about." She said.

"Why would you be concerned about me?" I asked confusedly.

Emily frowned and looked around for a second.

"I know what happened between you and Seth. I mean today." Emily said.


	20. Chapter 20

I was shocked to hear Emily tell me this. How could she have possibly known what Seth and I did today? I didn't understand how she could have found out. Did she see us? If she did was it an accident? So many questions to ask, but where to start with them.

"How could you have possibly known?" I asked.

"Sam told me. He said that he could smell you guys being all over each other. He also was told by Paul who happened to see the back side of Seth." Emily explained.

Dammit Paul! How did I know he wasn't going to be able to keep his mouth shut about that? Of course he'd have to be a blabber mouth. I decided to not say anything to him. It's only make things worse. Plus if I knew Sam, he'd probably give him some extra patrolling or something.

"Please don't lecture me over this. I know we should've waited, but it was so tempting once we got started." I practically begged.

"I won't because it isn't my place. I just want you two to be safe." Emily said.

"We will be Emily. I promise." I said with a smile.

Emily saw that I was being honest with her. She smiled and hugged me before she pulled back. It was nice to get to talk to her. It made me feel like we had this special relationship.

I left her with a smile and a thank you. I went home and found mom and dad waiting for me in the dining room. They looked concerned. I hoped someone had received bad news. It'd completely ruin my day. I walked in with a smile and a good mood that lasted so far.

"Hey guys. I'm finally home. Is everything ok?" I asked.

"Hey sweetie. We need to talk with you." Mom said.

"What about?" I asked.

"Well, it's about you and Seth. We need to have an important talk." Mom explained.

I was confused. What kind of an important talk could they want to have with me about me and Seth? I didn't know where this was going, but I hope it was somewhere good. It was hard to tell because they were being a little too serious about all this.

"Honey, we want to talk to you about sex. We know you are getting to an age where you're getting curious about it." Dad said bluntly.

"Why are we going to talk about sex?" I asked.

"Because we don't want you to do anything before you are married. Or if you do we want you to at least be prepared sweetie." Mom said.

"I think I will be fine. I know Seth won't pressure me into anything that I'm not ready for. He's even told me so." I said.

That's when I suddenly remembered the bracelet on my wrist. Seth had given it to me as a promise that I will marry him after we graduate high school. I couldn't explain that to my parents yet. I needed more time to come up with something in case they asked.

"Well just in case we want you to be prepared. You never know what might happen." Mom went on.

"Okay, well what exactly do you want me to know?" I asked.

"We want you to know what sex is going to be like." Dad said.

Mom and dad both went into detail trying to explain to me what sex was going to be like. By the time they we were done, I had a fairly good insight into what their sex life was probably like. I was mortified. I couldn't even speak to them after what they told me. I had already had sex and knew that it wasn't nearly as painful as they were making it out to be.

"Do you understand Brittlyn?" Dad asked.

I nodded.

"Good. Just promise us that no matter what, you will be careful." Mom said.

I nodded again.

"Okay, you better get to bed. You look exhausted." Mom told me.

I nodded with a bit of ease this time. "I am really tired. I will see you guys tomorrow." I told them.

They said goodnight to me and I said it back. I went up to my room, grabbed pajamas and went to the shower. By the time I finished talking with my parents and got my shower, it was nearly nine. I wasn't as tired as I had lead on. I needed a way to relax. That's when there was a knocking at my window. I went to look and saw Seth throwing small pebbles at it. I opened the window so he could come in.

"Hey Britt." Seth said as he came in quietly.

"Hey Seth. I'm glad you're here." I said as I rolled down the covers to my bed.

"Really? Why is that?" He asked.

"I was just getting ready to go to bed. I was hoping to feel your warmth again before I fell asleep for the night." I told him.

That's when I felt Seth put his big hands on my waist. He pulled me towards him a little roughly. I stood up straight and turned my head towards his. I managed to kiss his cheek before I felt him press himself against my back side.

"Is that why you're here?" I asked with a smile on my face.

"It's part of the reason why I'm here. I was wondering if you felt up to going another round." Seth asked with a smile.

I smiled back before saying, "Of course, but my parents are still up so we need to try and be quiet."

Seth smiled and started kissing me. We both undressed and got into the bed. Seth moved himself over top of me. I kissed his mouth and he kept them connected. I felt him push his way inside me.

I moaned a bit as I felt him. I was loosening around his member as he continued to kiss on me. I felt him start to move a little bit. I lightly bucked my hips to meet his. He went a little faster. I felt him go deep inside me. It was nice to feel that.

Seth grabbed one of my hips and held it to the bed. I couldn't move them and waited for Seth to move his hips. I gripped his hair tightly and was breathing erratically because I need to feel him move inside me. When he slowed or stopped, I whimpered. I needed to feel his friction.

He smiled and started to thrust again. I close my eyes because I feel him growing inside me. I start getting closer to my high. I was tightening around him. Just as I was going to explode all over Seth's member, my parents walked in on us. I had a hand on my pillow, squeezing it. My other hand was in Seth's hair gripping it. I let out a moan with an open mouth and almost said Seth's name. My stomach had tightened for a minute as I reached my high. My body twitched as I was letting it all out. Then we both finally relaxed.

When I finally looked at my door, I saw my parents standing there. My life started flashing before my eyes. I kept Seth close to my and whispered into his for him not to move. I didn't want my parents to see his face. I wasn't sure if they knew it was Seth or not. Plus it would keep things inside of me a moment longer to enjoy it.


	21. Chapter 21

My parents stood there shocked with their mouths hanging open. I didn't move and didn't release myself from Seth. I was horrified that my parents caught the end of our little "show". They finally blinked and turned to leave. They took one last look before completely shutting the door behind them. I released my hands and legs from around him.

"You need to go. My parents can't know who you are. If the guys find out then make them promise not to tell anyone. Especially your sister. She can never find out and neither can your mother. We can't make this any worse by letting anyone else know." I explained.

"I know. I will do my best to keep the others out of my head. If your parents need to know tell them. It's not worth you having to be in trouble all on your own." Seth told me.

He got himself dressed and left through the open window. I got my clothes on as I watched him leave. It was hard to believe that my parents would walk in at a time like that. I only hoped they didn't realize that it was Seth that was laying on top of me. I prayed that it was too dark for them to even piece it together. There was a knock at my door. I walked over to open it. My parents stood there, looking down.

"You guys can come in if you want." I said.

"Thanks sweetie. We need to talk to you." Mom said.

"Who the hell was that laying on top of you?" Dad demanded as we all sat in my room.

"I don't think you guys should know who that was. It's none of your business anyway." I said.

"We know you want to protect whoever the boy was, but I think it'd be for the best if we could tell his parents what you two were caught doing up here." Mom explained more calmly.

"No mom. It's not worth it for him to get into any trouble. I will take the blame, but I will not become a tattle tell." I said.

Mom and dad shared a look. I knew they were thinking of a particular someone. I just prayed they didn't think of the right someone. I waited for their next move.

"How long have you been having relations with boys?" Mom asked.

"That isn't something I want to talk about with you guys." I said.

"I just want to make sure you are being safe." Mom told me.

"I just don't want you doing that here ever again." Dad said half under his breathe.

"If you must know, that was the first time I ever had sex with anyone." I said, feeling fully embarrassed at this point.

"It was that damned Lahote boy wasn't it?!" Dad practically yelled.

"Yeah dad. It was Paul. He had finally seduced me and snuck in to the house just so we could have sex." I said with way more sarcasm than necessary and an eye roll.

Dad was furious about that, but mom managed to stay cool about it. I knew I'd be in a lot of trouble. I just wanted to get to the punishment already. The suspense was killing me and I was not going to tell them that it was Seth.

"So what is my punishment?" I asked.

"You are grounded until further notice." Mom said. "Go to school and come directly home. No friends over and no boyfriend until you tell us who it was that you were with tonight."

"Fair enough. What if I decide not to tell you guys who it was?" I asked.

"Well if you decide not to tell us, then we will find a way to figure it out on our own." Dad told me.

"Okay. Good luck with that. So unless the guy comes forward to tell you himself, I highly doubt you'll ever figure out who it really is." I said.

"I mean how could you do that to Seth?" Mom asked.

"Mom you don't need to worry about Seth. He is going to be just fine." I said.

They both walked out after that. They didn't say anything else. I was left to lay in bed with my own thoughts. I wondered how long it'd take for them to actually figure out I was sleeping with Seth. Of course dad felt furious, but he wanted me to stay his sweet little girl. Mom knew this was going to happen sooner or later. She said that I reminded her of herself at that age.

I couldn't sleep or relax all night long. I kept thinking about Seth. I wondered if Seth felt this anxiousness or the satisfaction I now felt. Knowing that my parents could find out it was him, but knowing we had our first time together and knowing how special it was. It was the best feeling and the worst feeling mixed together.


	22. Chapter 22

Over the next few days, I waited for my parents to bring up what happened. It was making me a nervous wreck thinking that at any moment that they'd find out. I hoped they would never know. I thought maybe one day many years from now I could tell them.

I went to and from home to school and back every day. I was showing them that I was going to honor what I said that night. I wasn't going to tell them who it was unless he volunteered himself. I was also planning on just being at home and at school. They had told me that the only way I could see Seth is if he came over and we sat where my parents could see us all day.

On Wednesday evening, I was cooking dinner. I wasn't expecting Seth to come over. He happened to surprise me by coming over for a visit. He asked my parents if he could join us for dinner today. They said yes. They loved having Seth come over to visit. My parents always saw him as a good kid.

After I finished cooking, Seth and I went to eat in the living room. We sat there smiling and talking about different things that had been happening. He told me about how the pack and some of the guy's imprints were doing.

"So how has it been here? What did they tell you?" Seth asked in a hushed whisper.

"Well they know what happened, but I don't think they found out it was you. They grounded me until they found it out." I explained in the same low whisper.

Seth frowned. He didn't like me being grounded. He got up and left the room. I got up and followed him. I was confused what he was doing.

"Seth what are you… NO!" I said as I followed him.

I tried to stop him, but he kept going. He placed his dishes in the sink before turning towards my parents. I didn't know if I could watch this. I didn't want him to get involved in this. I stood at the sink with my back turned towards them. Listening was the most I could bear right now.

"Can I speak with you for a minute Mr. and Mrs. Lorne's? There's a couple things I'd like to discuss with you." Seth said.

"Sure. What's bothering you Seth?" Mom asked.

"Well it's about something that happened the other night between me and Brittlyn." Seth said.

"What would that be?" Dad asked.

"Well I know you caught us in the middle of something we shouldn't have been doing for a while." Seth started.

"We knew it was you Seth. We just wanted one of you two kids to tell us. We never intended on doing anything about it. We just want you to be safe." Dad told us.

I turned around in shock.

"How did you guys know it was Seth?!" I asked.

"Well the way you were so protective of him kind of clued us in. You had your arms wrapped so tight around his neck and your legs so tight around his waist, we were afraid you might hurt him." Mom said.

"This boy came out without a bruise though. We just hope you know how good you need to be to our little girl." Dad half threatened.

Seth smiled.

"Dad, Seth has been nothing but good to me. I love him so much." I said.

I wrapped my arms around Seth lovingly. I kissed his cheek and had forgotten about the bracelet on my wrist. It was Seth's own way of telling me he was committed to me before we were married. I looked at my parents who happened to be looking at my wrist.

"We can explain this." I said as I pointed to my wrist.

"It reminds me of the one I used to have." Mom said.

"You had one mom?" I asked.

"Yeah. Your father gave me one when I was just a little older than you. We were very in love like the two of you seem to be." She explained.

"That is so sweet. It's nice to know that you and dad were always in love with each other." I said.

We all sat there and talked about love and other things. I have wanted to learn more about mom and dad's past. They never really told me much about it. I wondered why they never talked about it much before.


	23. Chapter 23

After a few weeks, we got to hang out more. Since we talked to my parents about the night they saw us, they ungrounded me. I was so worried over nothing. My parents were a lot cooler about us than I thought they'd be.

I went back to hanging out with Seth and the others. I was missing Emily almost as much as I missed Seth. I knew she'd be excited to see me when we were over later today. After school, the guys were going with their imprints to the beach. They were going to have a fire and bring some food.

"Seth I am so excited! I can't wait to see everyone." I said excitedly.

"I know they are excited to see you too. By the way, I think it's only fair to let you know everyone may have found out about our first time. By accident." Seth told me.

"Well, what happens, happens. It will be ok. I think I can handle whatever remarks are thrown at me." I said with a smile.

He smiled at me. We walked to the beach and talked on the way there. It was hard to not smile around him. He was the best friend and the boyfriend that I always wanted. On our way, I was able to think about our first time having sex. I thought about what I felt like after reaching my orgasm. How did Seth possibly help me reach it? Or was it because my lack of experience that helped me get there?

I didn't realize that we had made it there. I kept returning to that night. Seth had let go of my hand and went to kick some sort of ball around with the guys. I smiled as I kept walking and thinking of that night. I had walked straight down to the water. I couldn't stop thinking about it. In a way I hoped it happened again very soon.

"Brittlyn? Are you ok?" A feminine voice asked.

I turned to see Emily standing there.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about something." I told her.

She walked over beside me. I noticed her smile. I wondered why she was smiling.

"You're first time is always supposed to be so special. I know Seth is going to treat you right." Emily said.

"I know. He is such a great guy. He is the man I've always wanted to be with." I said.

"So, what was it like? Your first time I mean. Was Seth gentle with you?" She asked.

I chuckled. "He was. It was so nice to be with him intimately. It was sweet and he was so gentle. I couldn't imagine how much better it could've been." I explained. To her.

She smiled. I smiled to knowing that she was only trying to be nice and trying to be motherly. I appreciated her concern. She reminded me a lot of my mother. After we talked, we went back over with everyone else. I finally blocked that night from my head. I needed to concentrate on today more than anything else.


	24. Chapter 24

We walked back over to the other girls. We all started talking about the guys and how in love we were with our imprinters. We had all gotten to know each other so well. I was enjoying just getting to spend time with them. Paul's imprint was calming him down quite a bit. He didn't make as many bad jokes as he used to or tease the others as much.

As the others talked happily about everything that was going on in their lives, I watched after Seth. He was smiling and having fun with the guys. They were playing some football. Seth was quick on his feet. He caught the ball as it came flying towards him and ran to make a touchdown. He was tackled just before he made it past a rock he was running towards.

Seth and Embry went flying towards the rock. Seth's head was smacked off the rock. It looked like he hit pretty hard. Embry got up quickly dusting himself off. He looked down to Seth. I followed his gaze. Seth hadn't moved yet. I took a step forward.

When it sunk in that he wasn't going to move for a minute, I started walking to him. My fear was setting in and I was sprinting towards him. I slid in the sand as I got closer to him. I felt frightened that he was never going to wake up. By the time I got him turned onto his back, I noticed the blood on his forehead. Then his eyes started to flutter open. I watched him. He looked up to meet my gaze with his brown eyes.

"Seth? How are you feeling?" I asked, feeling concerned.

"I'm fine. Just a little headache." He said with a smile.

He sat up and looked at me. I stood up and helped him up as well. Embry looked upset by the events. I could only imagine what he must be thinking or feeling right now. I know he didn't mean to hurt Seth. It was just an accident.

"I'm so sorry about that Seth. I guess I got a little too excited about the game." Embry said.

"It's ok Embry. It could happen to anyone. Luckily we are quick healers. No harm, no foul." Seth said with a huge grin.

"Thank you for apologizing Embry. I know that Seth is strong. It means a lot to know that you are a good friend and you felt concerned about Seth." I said with a small smile.

Embry smiled back. He seemed to feel better knowing that we weren't going to stay mad at him. It wasn't in our nature to stay mad for very long. I took Seth down to the water so we could clean his face up. I sat him down on a tree bench and took my shirt off. Luckily it was warm enough for me to wear my swimsuit underneath in case I wanted to go swimming. I dipped my shirt into the salty water, then went to wipe off Seth's face. He cringed back at first when I started touching it.

"Sorry. I'm still a bit sore I guess." Seth said.

"It's fine. I know it probably is sore. But you no longer have a scratch. And you're not bleeding any more. Or unconscious for that matter. I'm just glad that you're ok." I said, smiling at him.

He smiled back at me.

"Well, it's good to know you care so much." He said.

He pulled me against him. I kissed his cheek. I smiled and continued to wipe the blood off his face. Seth made me feel warmer as he held me close to him. When I was finished with his face, I pulled away to go soak my shirt in the water. I wanted to get the blood out and I was certain this would help.

"How do you feel about going for a little swim?" Seth asked from behind me.

I turned to look at him. I pretended to think for a minute. Then I splashed him. He jumped back in surprise then saw me smiling. He took off his shirt and I took off my shorts and threw them with my shirt to shore. We ran into the water to start swimming. Seth was chasing after me.


	25. Chapter 25

After we finished swimming, we went to eat with everyone. I had put my shorts back on. I left my top off because my hair needed to dry some first. It was still warm and the sun just started to set. I grabbed a plate of food and sat down with Seth before I started eating.

Seth and the other pack members had a plate with more food than I could hold in a day's time. It was nice to see them enjoy the food though. I couldn't think of too many things that'd be better than this. I was happy to spend time with this group of people.

After we ate, the guys started making a bonfire. It was going to be a large one. Once it was lit, everyone sat down and started to relax. It was nice to enjoy the heat from the fire. I had finally resorted to putting my shirt on. I was still a bit chilly though. It made me scoot in closer to Seth. He carried so much heat that he wasn't often bothered by it.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm fine. You feel so cold. Here. Let me warm you up." Seth said, wrapping an arm around me.

"Thanks Seth. Your heat feels so good." I said.

"That's good to know." Seth said.

We sat there for a while. It was about twenty minutes later that I started to feel funny. I was feeling ill, sweaty and hot. It all just came over me at once. I had to get up and run somewhere away from the others. I was going to be ill and didn't want that to happen in front of everyone.

I didn't understand why I was the only one feeling ill. If it were the food, then it seems like everyone would be feeling ill. Maybe I was coming down with a cold of some kind. I wasn't sure. I knew I had to get home in case I was feeling ill. I didn't want everyone else getting sick because of me.

"Hey. What happened?" Seth asked.

"I just started feeling really hot and sweaty and sick. I think I should go home Seth. I think I might be coming down with something. I don't want the others to get sick because of me." I said.

We walked back over to everyone for a minute. Seth grabbed my shoes and handed them to me. Everyone looked at me. They all looked concerned. I smiled weakly at them before looking at Seth. I assumed I'd have to explain while he put his shoes on.

"I am feeling really ill you guys. I think I might have some kind of cold or the flu or something. Seth is going to take me home. I will see you guys soon." I told them.

"Okay. Be careful and get well soon." Emily said.

"I will. You guys enjoy the rest of your night." I said.

Everyone said their byes and waved. Seth walked me home. He was more concerned than I was about being sick. He almost picked me up to pack me home, but I objected his offer. It wasn't necessary for him to have to pack me. I could still walk even if I did feel sick. Plus I needed the cool air to help me cool down.

We walked into the house together. Mom and Dad stared at us. Especially me once they got a good look of my current appearance. They looked concerned that something worse was wrong with me.

"Hey you two. Is everything ok?" Mom asked.

"Everything is fine. I'm just not feeling that great." I said.

Mom felt my head.

"You feel hot. You should go take a shower and get some rest sweetie. We can wake you in the morning if you want." Mom said.

I nodded and smiled. Seth asked if he could stay and my parents graciously agreed to that. Seth would sleep in my room with me. I wanted to get a shower before I went to lay down. I thought it might help me to feel better.

It did help for a while. Once I was asleep, Seth quietly moved into bed with me. He wanted to be close to me and I was freezing. His body heat felt amazing against my cold skin. I was in and out of sleep all night. I kept waking up to go throw up in the bathroom. I was hardly keeping any liquids down.

Soon it was time for school. I got up to get dressed. I wasn't feeling as bad today. I still felt like something was wrong, but it wasn't the kind of feeling like you were going to be sick. It was something completely different. Something in my gut was telling me that something else was going to happen today.


	26. Chapter 26

As the day longed on, my stomach kept having these growing pains. When second period ended, the pain was unbearable. My friends had to help me walk to lunch the pain was so bad. Nicole was the one who was most worried about me. Before I sat down, Nicole grabbed my arm.

"I think you should go to the bathroom. You're bleeding heavily. Sara will come with us. Allison and Jenessa will try to get in touch with your parents and Sue." She said, looking from me to them.

Nicole grabbed one arm and Sara took the other. They helped me to walk to the nearest bathroom. Allison and Jenessa went in the other direction to make their calls. I sat down on the toilet in the bathroom. The cramping was even worse than it had been this morning.

The pain started moving down. I screamed in pain at the feelings I had. As the pain finally went down and slipped out, I stopped screaming. I heard a plopping noise just as the pain had stopped. Something had slipped out of me and I was terrified to move.

"Brittlyn? Brittlyn?!" I heard Sara call in alarm.

"Sara! I'm so scared. I don't know if I can or should move." I said, my speech starting to slur and my vision cutting out.

The next thing I remember is blackness. Nothing past that moment was real to me. I heard nothing, felt nothing, and saw nothing. It was black and nothing happened. It was like a void. I felt like I was floating there. Suddenly, there was something happening. I heard a female voice screaming. It was a worried scream mixed with a very loud prayer. I woke up feeling very weird.

I blinked my eyes a few times. It was very bright. I looked around and tried to figure out what was going on. I was lying in a hospital bed in a room alone. I had forgot what happened and how I got here. Suddenly a blond man walked in. He was a doctor coming to check on me.

"Hello there. My name is Carlisle Cullen. I am your doctor for a while. I was called to come help with you." The man said.

"Th- Thank you…" I said weakly.

"It's no problem. How are you feeling?" Dr. Cullen asked.

"I… I feel a little weak. Confused about how I got here." I told him.

"Well, you seemed to have a miscarriage. You weren't very far along. Did you even know that you were pregnant?" Dr. Cullen asked.

I shook my head as I stared at him.

"You were about a month along. The baby hadn't really developed that much. It was enough to be noticed when the miscarriage happened. Do you know who the father was?" He asked me.

I nodded. "I do know who the father was." I told him.

"Well you may want to tell him. In other news, your family and boyfriend are here to see you. I will let them know that you are awake and ready to see them." Dr. Cullen told me.

I watched him as he walked out of the room into the hall. A few minutes later my parents and Seth walked in. They each took turns giving me a hug and kiss to the cheek. They all looked as if they had aged ten years since they found me here in the hospital.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Mom asked.

"A little better now that you guys are here. Did the doctor tell you guys what happened?" I asked them.

"He told me and your mother. We thought that it'd be best if Seth heard it from you or Dr. Cullen himself. Did he tell you?" Dad said.

I nodded.

"Well we will give you two a moment then. Give you a chance to talk things over." Dad told us.

Seth and I watched them walk out of the room. Seth turned back toward me and came over to sit down on the bed. I played with my thumbs for a minute trying to think of a good way to tell him exactly what had happened.

"Am I going to have to guess or will you tell me?" Seth asked.

"Seth I don't know how you are going to feel about this." I said.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Seth I was a month pregnant and had a miscarriage." I told him.

I watched his face and how he reacted. Seth's facial expressions went from angry to sad very quickly. It was hard for me to know that he was feeling this way. It was even worse to have to tell him about it. I didn't know where to begin explaining how sorry I was for all of this. I just knew that I needed to find a way to tell Seth I was sorry.


	27. Chapter 27

"I wish we had known sooner. I'm happy to know that you're ok though. I was so worried. I thought maybe I had lost you when I saw you getting carried away on that stretcher." Seth said, kissing my hand and holding it.

I didn't realize how cold I was. His warm touch felt nice to me. I wanted him to come closer so I could feel all his heat on me. I knew that it wouldn't be possible with all the things that were hooked up to me at the moment.

"So you aren't mad?" I asked.

"No. Why would I be mad?" Seth asked.

"That I lost our first baby. I wasn't able to protect it. I wasn't able to keep it safe." I said.

"I'm not mad and I was upset for two seconds, but I'm fine now. We will have other chances to have kids. Plus we need to give this more time. We are still so young to be thinking about kids." Seth explained.

I thought about what he was saying. I knew he was right, but a little part of me still hated to lose my first child. Maybe it was for good reason that we didn't have a baby yet. I only hoped that we'd get another chance at this though. I knew Seth would be a good father like he is a good protector. He is also so good at so many other things.

That's when my parents walked in. They looked a little happier than before. They were still worried. I don't know what bothered them the most. The fact that I was in the hospital because of the miscarriage or just because of the miscarriage putting me in so much danger.

"Do you two need more time to talk?" Dad asked.

"No, we will be fine. I think we can handle everything a little better now." Seth said.

Dad nodded.

"Are you guys ok? I'm sorry to cause so much worry." I said.

"We are fine sweetie. We just needed to come and see you. When your friends called to tell us that you were bleeding pretty heavily and needed help, we got so worried about you." Mom told me.

Just then Carlisle walked in through the door. He smiled at everyone. It was a warm smile that most doctors didn't seem to have. I gave a small smile back to him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but visiting hours are over. And this young lady needs to get some rest. If you have improved enough by morning we may be able to let you go home." The doctor said.

"That is good. I'm sure I'll be ready to go home by then anyway and be with my friends and family some more." I said with a big smile.

Mom, dad and Seth all three hugged and kissed me good bye. They all walked out and said they'd be back tomorrow to see me home. Dr. Cullen stayed behind to check on me one more time before he had to go home.

"How are you really feeling?" He asked me.

"I've felt better, but it's mostly just being sad I guess." I said.

"Why do you feel so sad?" He asked, clearly not understanding.

"Well even though I'm still young and I only just found out today, I am sad about losing the baby. I know it must seem silly, but thinking about having my own family just seems so great." I explained.

"Having a family can be great. I think for you and Seth waiting a little longer would really be the best thing to do. Although I do understand you're yearning for a family. I know that's how my wife felt before we got our kids. Trust me, it will happen before you know it." Dr. Cullen said.

"Thanks Dr. Cullen. I know you're right. I guess I better let you get home. I should probably get some rest. I'm still feeling very tired." I said.

Dr. Cullen smiled and nodded. I was certain he was right. I was just going to need some time to heal over this. It hurt more emotionally than I thought it possibly could've. I wondered how long it'd actually hurt before I could find peace over it. Who knows?


	28. Chapter 28

During the next week at school, I could feel everyone staring at me. I knew what they must've been thinking. My friends and the guys from the pack were very protective of me since they found out about me losing the baby. Everyone had come to visit me the second day at the hospital. When they did, I noticed a couple of the guys look at Dr. Cullen kind of funny.

I ignored it for the time, thinking that maybe they had some kind of grudge against him or something. My friends had even come to visit after my parents had called them. Once they knew that I was ok, they were anxious to see me for themselves.

When we walked down the halls at school, the boys would stare and smile at me. Seth would growl at them menacingly. The guys would stare at him and back off of me. They saw how protective Seth and the others were and didn't want to get into a fight with all of them. A couple times I even saw Seth start to shake. Tremors would take over for a moment until I could calm him down enough to realize what was happening to him.

"I'm sorry about that." He'd say every time.

"It's ok. I know you mean well. Just please try to be careful." I'd always say back to him.

It was easy to be around Seth because we understood and knew each other so well. I knew Seth wasn't going to intentionally hurt me. I was just cautious when I saw him starting to get angry. I knew I should step back from him and give him some space. I didn't and more worried about him giving up his secret. I knew Paul often lost his temper and became angry and had nearly down that a dozen different times. With Seth it was different.

"Well the weekend is finally here and now we get to go on our date. Are you excited?" Seth asked me.

"I am excited. I need a good distraction after everything that has happened." I said.

"I will pick you up tomorrow around six then. For now let's go over to Emily's and see what everyone is up to." Seth said.

I nodded. I couldn't wait to spend some more time with everyone. I know we just saw each other recently, but these guys were like my second family. It was another home away from home. I knew that I'd always have someone there to talk with if I needed them.

"Hey you two! How is the cutest couple ever?" Emily said warmly.

"We are good. Thanks for asking Emily." Seth said with his best smile.

I walked over to offer my help to Emily.

"No, you just sit and I will take care of this." She said.

"I am fully capable of helping you Emily. Don't worry." I said.

"I know that dear, I just have something I want to talk to you about." She said.

"What is it Emily?" I asked.

She looked at me before taking in a deep breath.

"How are you really feeling after what happened last week?" Emily asked me.

A few of the other girls had gathered around. They were clearly wondering the same thing and showed the same concern on their faces. I knew I must've been looking pretty down to them. If I were being honest, I was still feeling down. I tried not to let it show too much. Especially around Seth because I knew he felt bad enough the way it was.

"I've definitely felt better. I've felt worse too. I know time will heal all this, but I know I will never completely forget it either." I explained.

"Well we all just want you to know that we are here for you. Even the guys are trying their best to be supportive of you." Kim said.

I smiled at her and the others.

"Thanks you guys. It really means so much to me that you guys are putting so much effort in to trying to be here for us. You guys are like a second family to me." I said.

Everyone laughed and smiled. They hugged me. Then Emily called out for the guys to come and eat. She had made enough food to support an entire army. It always surprised me that the guys ate as much as they did. I loved getting to enjoy the friendly atmosphere of everyone having a good time.


	29. Chapter 29

Over the next month Seth and I endured the stares and glares around the school. Most people gave me these disapproving looks. Seth got sympathy looks. People felt bad for him like he wasn't in the know and had done nothing wrong. It made me feel kind of made at those people.

Luckily school was over and I didn't have to see these people for a while. I was going to be able to spend time with Seth and our families. We'd get to spend the holiday season with them and it was going to be great. I hoped that Leah would attempt to be nice to me. I hadn't spoke to her in a while. I felt bad enough that I had been a disappointment to Seth in one way. Plus I hadn't really ever apologized to Leah after she made me and Seth break up.

"How does Leah feel about me coming over the day before Christmas?" I asked.

"Well she is… Well she isn't very excited." Seth said with a frown.

"In other words she still hates me. All because of me yelling at her when we broke up that day." I said, getting the real meaning behind what he was saying.

"She isn't mad about that." Seth said.

"Then why is she mad at me?" I asked.

"She think you purposefully wanted to lose the baby. She thinks you did something to have the miscarriage." Seth explained, frowning at the thought.

I felt confused. I wondered why she'd think I purposefully would try to lose a baby. I wasn't even sure how I'd go about causing a miscarriage. I didn't think I could bring myself to do something like that anyway.

"Why would she think I'd try to get rid of the baby? I didn't even know I was pregnant." I said.

Seth looked very serious and concerned. He thought for a minute before he spoke to me.

"She thinks you knew and just didn't say anything. I've seen into her thoughts. I know exactly how she feels about you. I'm not saying she is right, but what did you know and what happened that day?" Seth asked.

I thought back to that day. I told Seth everything that I knew at the time and what had happened in that day. I told him I didn't know anything about the baby until I had woke up in the hospital and Dr. Cullen had told me about it.

Seth stared at me. "I believe you. I don't want you to worry too much about what Leah thinks. Mom loves that you are making me happy and I love you."

"I love you to, Seth." I said, hugging him.


	30. Chapter 30

Seth led me over to his house. We walked in and Sue smiled at us. She walked over to hug me. Leah came down and was happy. She started talking to her family. She was so excited. They were all a little down since Mr. Clearwater had passed away. Leah had clearly not seen me standing behind her mother yet.

"I can't wait for Christmas to get here. When is that horrible girlfriend of yours getting here? I hate her. Why did it have to be her of all people Seth?" Leah complained.

"Leah, she is right here!" Sue yelled at her daughter.

Leah spun around to stare at me. It was more than staring. She was glaring at me like she wanted to kill me right there on the spot. I couldn't understand why she'd hate me like this so much. I never did anything to her.

"Why didn't someone tell me she was here?!" Leah yelled angrily.

"Leah, that's enough! I expect better of you than that. Apologize right now young lady!" Sue demanded.

"Why should I? She's the bitch! She ruined everything!" Leah said.

Leah ran outside, not even giving us a second glance. I stood there with my mouth open. I felt so many things in this moment. I was confused, angry and sad. I didn't understand what Leah could've possibly been talking about.

"Brittlyn, I am so sorry about that. I don't know why she'd feel so strongly about this." Sue said.

Seth looked at me. Then he looked to his mom. He frowned then was thinking about something.

"I think I can explain it to her mom. I understand Leah a lot better than you might think I should." Seth said.

Sue nodded. Seth took me by the hand and led me outside to the porch so we could talk for a while. I hoped that whatever Seth was going to tell me would make sense and I wouldn't feel crazy.

"Why does Leah hate me?" I finally asked.

"She doesn't hate you. She's just not very fond of you. After Sam broke up with her, she became very bitter. All she ever wanted was for someone to love her. She wanted to stay with Sam, but after she found out what was really going with him, she tried not to stay mad. She was and is best friends with our cousin and still loved Sam. She doesn't want to be the only person left who is still changing and not have a life partner of some kind." Seth explained.

"Oh…" was all I could manage to say.

"Yeah. I've been in her head more than once. I know she really wants to like you. She just doesn't like being left out of all the imprinting." Seth said.

"Well we will have to convince her that there is someone out there for her." I declared.


	31. Chapter 31

I went to spend time with Seth on the couch. We decided that we'd spend Christmas Eve with his family for a while then go to my family's house for a while. I told him since we weren't married we should spend time with our own families on Christmas Day.

The next couple of days were a lot of fun. Seth and I had also agreed to exchange our gifts after Christmas. It's something we wanted to do for the next couple of years before we got married. For our first Christmas I was so excited.

We had agreed not to do any extravagant for our gifts. My gift wasn't going to be extravagant, but I thought he'd like it. I had a backup gift in case he didn't go for the first one. I was nervous about it and only hoed he'd like it.

It was finally the day after Christmas and we agreed to meet up at my house since my parents went to visit some of my mother's family at a different reservation a little north of us. They'd be gone for a few days, so we'd have time to be alone. I couldn't wait for Seth to get here.

There was a knock at the door. It was unusual for Seth to knock. He knew he could just come in. I went to answer the door. I wasn't expecting anyone but Seth to come over. When I opened the door, Sam stood there looking at me. It was weird that he was standing here. I wondered what he could've possibly needed.

"Hey Sam. Please come in." I said.

Sam nodded and came inside. He shut the door behind him.

"How can I help you Sam? Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Well, we caught a scent of an unfamiliar vampire. We asked the Cullen's to help us out. We are going to switch patrols with them. I just want you to know because Seth's first patrol is going to be tomorrow morning around ten." Sam said.

"Okay. Well Seth should be here any minute. Does he know?" I asked.

"Yeah I just talked to him and Leah. He wanted me to tell you he was going to be a little late." Sam told me.

I nodded. After that he excused himself and left. I appreciated that he passed along the information. Although I was going to be worried about Seth with the recent vampire smell, I wasn't going to let it bother me tonight. I was bound to enjoy myself.

Thirty minutes later, Seth came in. He was smiling and I was making some food for us. I didn't see him come in, but I heard him say hello. I felt a cold chill go down my spine. Seth saw me shiver then came over to hug me.

"Hey babe. I'm so glad that you are finally here. I was missing you." I said.

"I was missing you too. I'm glad we are going to get a little time together. Did Sam tell you the news?" Seth asked.

I nodded.

"Yeah he stopped by. I'm going to worry about you while you're out." I said as I turned in his arms.

"You don't need to worry about me. I will be just fine." Seth said.


	32. Chapter 32

"So what are we having for dinner tonight? Anything I can help to finish up?" Seth asked.

"We are having some spaghetti. It's my mom's special recipe. I hope you like it. I'm actually almost finished with it. Go ahead and get a seat." I told him.

Seth went to sit down at the kitchen table. I soon followed with a plate of food for him. I grabbed myself a smaller portion of food because I knew I couldn't hold as much as Seth did. We ate and talked about things that were going on lately. I smiled at Seth knowing that there was no one on this planet that I'd rather be with.

We both stood up and put our dishes away. I washed up things as Seth put the leftovers away and dried the dishes. After that we went into the small family room and sat down together. I felt another chill run through my body. Seth wrapped himself around me so I could be warm.

"Thank you for dinner. It was amazing. I think it might have been better than some of the stuff Emily has made." Seth said, complementing me.

"Well thank you for that. I know how good Emily's food is so I must be getting better." I said teasingly.

Seth chuckled at me. He leaned over to kiss me on the nose. I reached up to touch his face. I gently cupped his cheek, looking into his eyes as I did. I loved Seth so much. We had already been through a lot together. I knew Seth had his own battles that he wasn't telling me about. I felt bad I couldn't be of more help to him.

I did know one thing. I could help distract him. I only hoped that it would work this time. I straddled Seth, kissing him as I felt this overwhelming need to. It was just that I loved to feel his touch and couldn't help but think that maybe I craved it more than I should. I couldn't bring myself to care though. I only hoped that Seth would respond very well to this.

"Why so eager for this?" He asked through the kisses.

"Seth I just need to know that I haven't lost you. I need to know that you want me as much as I want you." I explained.

He pulled me back so I was forced to look at him.

"Of course I want you as much as you want me. Why would you think I wouldn't?" He asked.

"Well… Well, because of what you said Leah thought. I hoped you wouldn't believe her when she thought about me and the miscarriage. I never knew about it and it wasn't intentional." I explained.

"I know that. I know better than to give in to Leah and her silly thoughts. I know she is just trying to watch out for me, but I know the difference between her being mad and knowing what the truth is." Seth told me.

I smiled and kissed him again.

"So you aren't mad at me?" I asked.

No. Of course I'm not mad at you! I love you too much to stay mad for long anyway." Seth said with his warm smile.

I shivered as he spoke. He turned me on his lap and wrapped his arms around me. He also threw the cover on the back of the couch over me. I snuggled up into his chest. It felt nice to get warm. I didn't know why I was feeling so cold. It was unusual for me to be this cold. I just focused on getting warm and forgot everything else for a little while.


	33. Chapter 33

I woke up a few hours later, still feeling cold. This kind of cold was much worse than earlier. This was a cold like when you were alone. When something was wrong, but you didn't know exactly what it was?

I knew that something was wrong. Seth had left me and took his heat with him. All the power had been turned off too. It was extremely dark and there was an eerie feeling to this darkness. I sat up and looked around to the visible windows and looked over to the door.

All the windows were shut, but the door was wide open. Seth must have run out and forgot to close behind him. It was weird and I wondered why I was so cold. It was freezing outside and I couldn't bear this any longer. I got up to go close the door.

When I turned to go cover myself back up, I felt eyes staring at me. I froze right in my tracks. I didn't want to make any sudden movements. If it were an animal, then it definitely had the upper hand. Even if it were a man then he'd most likely still have the upper hand, but at least I'd have a little more of a chance.

"Who's there?" I barely spoke in a shaky voice.

I heard something, but couldn't make out exactly what the noise was. I slid along the wall to the kitchen. I was trying to feel my way over to the knives. I hoped I could get to them before I was attacked by whatever was in the house with me.

I slowly moved along the wall until I found the knife block, feeling the ends of the knives until I found the one I wanted – the butcher's knife. I pulled it out and stood there a moment as I listened to the space around me for something… Anything that would give away what I was up against.

"Whoever, or whatever, you are come out… NOW!" I snarled.

I finally heard movement. Whoever it was had made their way over to me. There was a tiny bit of light coming in through the window. The figure came into the light so I could see some of them. It was the red haired woman I'd met that day at the cliffs. I think Seth said her name was Victoria.

She sensed something that made her happy. She quickly grabbed the knife from my hand and held my wrist rather tightly. I let out a small whimper from the small pain I felt. I could see her smile a little at my pain.

"All alone I see. Big surprise it was easy to trick that little boy toy of yours. He is so stupid just like all the rest of those stupid boys." She smiled.

"They are NOT stupid! They are ten times smarter than you'll ever be you bitch!" I yelled.

Victoria didn't like this. Her smile quickly went to a frown. She squeezed even harder on my wrist. I let out a scream of pain. I almost fell to the floor. She held me up. Victoria held the knife to my neck, pressing the cold and shiny object to it.

"Well it seems like your little boy won't be here to save you this time. What a shame he won't be able to watch me kill you…" Victoria trailed off.

I wondered how she planned on doing it. Maybe she'd make it quick and painless. Hopefully Seth wouldn't have to see me laying in a pool of red. Victoria continued to frown. She seemed to sense that I no longer feared her. I was willing to die for someone I loved.

Suddenly there was light again. It burned my eyes for a second. Once they were adjusted, I looked at Victoria. When I saw her face again, she looked like she were half crazed by something. I wondered what it was.

Her eyes suddenly shot to the door. I followed her gaze, thankful for whatever distraction had come. It was Seth and one of the other guys. I silently thanked whatever it was that told them to come back here.

"How…?" Victoria asked, clearly dazed that they had made it back to her.

She looked to me then back again. There were two people behind the guys. One of which was Dr. Cullen. The other must have been a friend of his. Maybe his son because they had some similar features. Victoria ran out through the back door, leaving me dazed and falling to the floor. Seth and the other wolf ran out with Dr. Cullen's companion. Dr. Cullen had stayed to look at me.

He tried speaking to me. I couldn't say anything because I was still dazed. Suddenly I came out of my daze, screaming for Seth. I got up and ran out the back door for him. Dr. Cullen had grabbed my hand, holding me back from going after him. I turned to look at him, trying to understand why he would do this.

"I'm sorry Dr. Cullen. I guess I'm just overwhelmed by everything that's going on right now." I told him.

He gave me a smile that was nice.

"It's okay. I know you were in a bit of shock. I just wanted to make sure you didn't follow them out into the snow and freeze to death." He said.

I smiled and waited by the door for Seth's return.


	34. Chapter 34

I closed the door and walked back inside to cover up with a blanket. Carlisle must have seen what I was going for and gave me the blanket on the couch. I smiled at him before sitting down on the couch. I huddled up because I was freezing and wished Seth were here to warm me up.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked.

I shrugged. "A little cold. Tired I guess. Mostly missing Seth."

"I know it's hard to be away from someone you love so much." Carlisle said with a smile.

He walked over to me carefully, wondering if I'd be ok with him close to me. I smiled as he came closer to me and offered him a seat. He politely accepted and sat beside me. I could see that he wanted to say something to me.

"Is something on your mind Dr. Cullen?" I asked.

He looked at me before he spoke. He looked curious and sad.

"I do, but I don't want to upset you." He said.

"It's ok. I think I can handle it." I said.

He sighed. "Have you tried being with Seth again on an intimate level again?"

"Yes, I have. Why?"

"I know it's not my place to tell you, but please be careful. After having the miscarriage I don't want you or Seth to be hurt anymore."

I took in what he said. It was a bit sad to think about. I shook it off and smiled at the doctor. I knew he must think I was crazy, but I wasn't as crazy as he may have thought. I just needed him to understand what I was thinking.

"I am being careful. Thank you for being concerned. I think we can handle this though." I told him.

Carlisle smiled at me.

"I understand. I think I should check your vitals one more time before you get some rest." He told me.

I nodded in understanding. He checked my pulse and a few other things to make sure I was ok. As he did so, I stared off into space. I wondered where Seth was right now. I hoped he was ok. I hoped that the others that were with him were too. I looked at the door until I fell asleep. I woke up the next morning to Seth sleeping beside me in bed. I was warm and happy.


	35. Chapter 35

I was kissing on Seth's cheek that morning. I couldn't believe that he didn't have a scratch on him. He hardly moved when I kissed him. He was exhausted and looked a few years younger in that moment.

I went to the kitchen and found that everything was left in a tidy order. Someone had cleaned in hear after I passed out. I shrugged and started making breakfast for Seth. I knew that this would probably wake him up out of his sleep.

It was easy for me to make a large breakfast. I made all of Seth's favorites and laid it out on the table. I called over to Emily and Sam's. I was hoping to reach Emily. When she said hello, I told her who it was and wanted to talk to her.

She was happy that I called. I talked excitedly about Seth and everything that happened last night. I didn't even realize that Seth came in and started eating. I was so engrossed in my conversation with Emily for the next thirty minutes that I never would have known about Seth if he hadn't come to kiss me on the neck.

"Sorry Emily, I have to go. I have a boy stuck to my neck." I said as sarcastically as I could.

Emily laughed into the phone. "Okay sweetie! I will see you later!"

I hung up the phone and turned to face Seth. He had eaten half of everything. I didn't realize how hungry he would have been this morning. I smiled at him. He smiled back at me with a warm smile that I loved.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. I gave him a gentle kiss to the lips and smiled into it. I pulled back and looked at him. He had his hands on my waist. It felt nice to be warm. I was still so cold from the door being left open last night.

"How did everything go last night?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"It was easy once we got her cornered. It took almost all night to finally get to her. By the time I got back, I was exhausted. But the problem has been taken care off. You officially have nothing to worry about now." Seth explained to me.

"Good, because I want to spend more time with you. What happened to you last night anyway? When I woke up and saw Victoria and the door left wide open I was scared something bad had happened." I told him.

"Well I had smelled her scent and knew I'd need some help. I got in touch with Sam and Jake to send in reinforcements. I forgot to shut the door behind me as I left. I'm sorry about that." Seth said.

"It's ok Seth. Luckily you got here just in time. So what will we do today?" I asked.

Seth gave me a smile that meant trouble. I followed his gaze outside. I knew he wanted to have fun out in the snow that had fallen. I went to grab a coat and go outside with him. It was going to be so much fun for us to have this fun in the snow.


	36. Chapter 36

A few years have passed since the night Victoria came to the house. Seth and the others had come close to a big fight with several vampires. They were going to fight with the Cullen's to help protect them if they needed to. It was mostly for Jacob's sake that they even considered it.

Sue and Bella's father had started dating after Harry had passed away. Of course there were some months before that blossomed into what it did, but they both seem so happy. I wondered if they'd ever get married. It'd be nice to see the two of them remain happy and stay together.

Seth and I have graduated high school. It was one happy day for us. Seth was an entire foot taller than myself by the time we graduated. He had also learned to control his phasing and was able to do it whenever he wanted. Which was good because he would finally age at a normal pace again.

After we graduated, Seth had went to look for a job. That was so we could have a fun little family involved wedding. Seth wanted to pay for most of the wedding decorations and his own wedding attire himself. He also wanted to take care of me. And our little ones that would soon enough come.

I told Seth I wouldn't care to get a job to help pay for things, but he refused my offer. He wanted to take care of me. I told him I wanted to work so I could have something to do in my spare time until we had our own little family. He thought about it for nearly a month before agreeing to let me work at a job I knew that I'd love.

After a year of us being married and working, I found out that I was pregnant with our first two children. We were the proud parents of triplets. A boy whose name was Jackson and two girls whose names were Annie and Shawna. Seth was so happy to see me and the kids. He wouldn't hardly let me do anything for myself. I had to keep reminding him that I wasn't disabled, I was just pregnant.

I assumed he was just worried after what had happened last time. I couldn't say that I blamed him at all. I probably would've done the same if I were him. I did my best to be a good wife and mother. Luckily I had so many people to help me and who cared about me.

It was nice to have the happily ever after I had dreamed of. It was more than I ever thought I'd have and wouldn't change a single thing about the choices I've made. Everything was absolutely perfect in every way!


End file.
